Puddle Jumper Mayhem
by x Varda x
Summary: ...McKay wishes he hadn't gotten himself into. Including training exercises, space battles, daring rescues, space vistas, alien worlds and awe inspiring phenomena. A collection of short Jumper based one shots with McKay/Sheppard friendship and McKay whump
1. Flying Lesson

**Hello!**

**Welcome to the world of jumping puddles (with associated disaster and heart stopping feats of ingenuity and bravery).**

**Each chapter represents a different story for our intrepid explorers and Jumper pilots.**

**If you believe the chapter you are reading is a bit wonky (my sincerest apologies) try the next one. I'm hoping they get better the more I write. Chapters one and two are the first stories (outside of English lessons at school) that I have ever written for anything.**

**Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy!**

* * *

Disclaimer: - "Stargate" and all related characters are the property of MGM Television Entertainment.

Set just after "Suspicion" Season 1.

**Flying Lesson**

Weir sat at the head of the table in the briefing room. To her right sat Ford and McKay and on her left there was Sheppard, Teyla and Beckett.

"How are the Athosians settling in?" Weir asked.

Sheppard answered, "I just finished flying the last of them over to the mainland. It sure took a lot of trips to get them all over there with their gear."

It didn't show in his voice, but Sheppard looked slightly annoyed at having to spend a whole day flying in straight lines over huge expanses of ocean, backwards and forwards. Not exactly his idea of exciting flying. McKay and Ford looked at each other, a silent agreement between them. They both sat in on several of the trips, not only to keep Sheppard company, but McKay had to set up the radio gear and Ford to secure the landing area and help the Athosians unload.

"It gave me chance to really get 'in tune' with the feel of flying the Jumper." Sheppard continued.

"I will check on them in several days," Teyla said. "I believe that they will be much happier on the mainland than on Atlantis. It may not be Athos, but at least they will be able to begin again."

Weir looked at Teyla and smiled, "Of course, well if they need any help, we left them with several radios and a transmitter, so they can always call us."

"My people and I are most grateful for all that you have done to us."

"It was the least we could do after the wraith attack." Weir paused for a few seconds and turned a page in the notepad in front of her.

"Carson, I wondered how you were progressing with giving the ATA gene to base personnel?"

"Well, so far, I have managed to find 25 volunteers." Beckett answered, "but out of all those subjects, only 10 have been successful."

Ford looked slightly downcast, "Yes, it didn't work on me. I would have loved to have got my hands on one of those jumpers." He laughed a little nervously.

"Not on my watch." Sheppard answered, with a slight smirk at Ford.

Beckett continued, "Including Rodney, Sheppard and myself, that brings the total number of ATA gene carriers to 12."

"That's perfect," said Weir looking at Sheppard. "Major, I would like you to begin a training programme for everyone who has the gene. I would like all the gene carriers to be able to fly the jumpers."

At this bombshell, Rodney started slightly, "Is that safe? I know Major 'I can fly anything' over there is fine with flying us around," he stated looking pointedly at Sheppard, who scowled back at McKay, "But why do we all need to fly them? I don't think Major Sheppard will be pleased with anyone getting their hands on 'his machines.'" McKay sounded a little nervous.

"Hey, I'm sure there's a good reason, right Doctor Weir?" Sheppard countered glaring at McKay.

"Yes, yes there is." Weir answered looking between Sheppard and McKay, who both slowly turning back to her. "Major, you know how long it took to ferry the Athosians to the mainland. If we had a wraith attack, there would never be enough time for them all to get back to Atlantis and dial off the planet."

"That's certainly true." Teyla said, "It would be most beneficial for my people to be on their way back to Atlantis in one group, rather than choosing who to leave behind."

McKay looked at Weir, "But surely the ability is natural, in an emergency, I'm sure it would be no problem."

"I'd rather not have to wait for that time Rodney." Weir stated and then looked at Sheppard, "And what if you were incapacitated while off-world on a planet with an orbital gate? I'm sure you feel the same way – I would be much happier to know that everyone was trained properly."

"What about my gene Doctor Weir," asked Beckett, looking very worried, "I can barely keep a scanner operational. I'm not sure if I trust myself in a jumper, let alone inflicting that doubt onto my unfortunate passengers."

"That's why I would like Sheppard to train all of you." Weir answered.

Sheppard gave a reassuring nod to Beckett, "You'll do fine. I'll take everyone out individually. If you get into trouble, I'll be there."

McKay looked smug, "Come on Carson, you have the gene naturally. It'll be really easy."

"So, that's settled then." Weir stated looking round at them all, "As soon as you're ready Major you may start the training."

* * *

Sheppard called McKay to the Jumper bay two days later. Sheppard asked some technicians to prep the jumper with full supplies.

"This isn't what I had in mind," McKay complained, now settling down into the pilot seat of Jumper One. The controls immediately came online as he sat down.

Sheppard was strapping himself into the co-pilot's seat, shot him a grim look – this was going to be a long couple of hours.

"Wouldn't it have been better just to have a theory lesson, or perhaps run a quick loop around the city and then back?" McKay continued, trying to hide the rising panic in his voice.

"No, Rodney," Sheppard replied, "An asteroid belt is the best way to train in complex manoeuvres. Obviously we'll start with the basics, but I have confidence that you'll not find it too difficult."

McKay was slightly taken aback by Sheppard's comment and couldn't find a sarcastic comment to throw back. It was nice that he felt that way, but McKay hoped he wouldn't have to eat his words in the near future.

Sheppard began the lesson, "The first thing to do is power up the systems, although it looks like that already happened. Remember, you just have to think about what you want to do, and it should just happen. The control panels are mainly just for show and just in case the interface malfunctions."

McKay shot Sheppard an annoyed glance, "Major, you obviously spent a lot of time working on your little speech, but I already know all of this. I can think of a hundred other things I would rather be doing than dodging certain death in an asteroid field when it's not necessary."

"Then you check energy levels," he continued, looking straight ahead and ignoring McKay's sarcasm. "Make sure there's enough 'juice in the tank' to get us where we're going, back again and a little extra just in case."

"Obviously," McKay muttered, as the power level readings flashed across the HUD.

The display showed an energy distribution map of the whole jumper, most energy was concentrated in the two pods, still tucked into the side of the craft.

"Ok, it all checks out fine. We only need enough power for two hours maximum, and all the charts are in the green. Let's go."

McKay closed his eyes and willed the jumper to take off and hover a few feet above the deck. In his mind, he could feel the sensation as the jumper responded to his thoughts. He didn't believe it would work, so he was pleasantly surprised.

"It may be helpful if you kept your eyes open," Sheppard said through clenched teeth. He was looking at McKay with an exasperated look, like he was trying to teach a small child how to walk.

"Alright, alright!" McKay opened his eyes slightly, "It's strange, I could sense that it was airborne even though I couldn't see or feel it."

The jumper began to shake and drift alarmingly towards the rear wall of the jumper bay.

"Woah, woah! Careful, Rodney," Sheppard shouted. He looked at McKay, whose hands were trembling slightly as he gripped the control sticks. "Try to relax, the jumper can pick up on nervousness."

"I'm not nervous!" He replied, "I just don't see why I have to do this." He let go of the controls for a second and wrung his hands together. He then took a few deep and shuddering breaths and wrapped his hands tightly around the control sticks again. "Ok, ok here we go."

The jumper levelled off, and slowly drifted in the better direction of the lower hanger door towards the gateroom.

"McKay to control room. We're ready to go. If we're not back in a couple of hours, send out the search parties." The lower hanger door opened as he hammered the gate address into the jumper's DHD.

"Acknowledged, Doctor McKay. Have a safe trip." Came the tech's reply from the control room.

McKay sighed and grimaced as he finished dialling and the jumper sunk down into the control room on autopilot. The jumper then slid lazily through the gate.

* * *

The jumper emerged on the other side of the gate into space. There was a sun in the system, which reflected light off thousands of rocks floating and tumbling over each other close to the gate. From this distance McKay and Sheppard could make out several much larger asteroids, which looked like many small moons as the sunlight reflected off them.

"Okay," Sheppard continued his instruction, "Try scanning the system."

"Way ahead of you there," McKay replied as the HUD flashed up a map showing many dots representing the asteroids.

"Did you see that?" McKay asked in alarm.

"No, what is it?"

"I'm not sure but it felt… looked," he corrected, "Like a faint energy reading on the sun side of the belt at the edge of the scanner's range."

"Well, I didn't see anything, but I suppose while we're here, we may as well check it out as part of the training."

Sheppard looked over at McKay. The scientist's face seemed to have lit up since they came through the gate, all his nervousness and panic had faded away. Sheppard knew what it was like. The feeling of being in control. The jumper had a similar effect on Sheppard, although probably not as much, because Sheppard had been a pilot for years and he was always in control. There was just something about the jumpers that was different. Probably the interface, it felt so natural, almost like the craft was an extension of himself and flying them was so easy. Sheppard didn't share his thoughts with McKay, he did not want to boost his arrogance too much or make him feel downcast that flying the jumper was easy.

"That's it Rodney," Sheppard said in an encouraging voice, as McKay moved the jumper forward towards the asteroids.

The jumper slowly slid from left to right and up and down to avoid asteroids and smaller rocks as it made it's way through the belt. A sheen of sweat had appeared on McKay's face as he concentrated on flying the jumper. The map was still displayed on the HUD, but McKay seemed to be looking out the window to make course corrections.

"_Thank goodness the inertial dampeners are working properly,"_ Sheppard thought as McKay made a quick roll so that they did not end up crashing as an oblong asteroid just impacted and forced several rocks into their path.

McKay let out a breath that he had been holding. He hadn't even noticed that he had been holding it until his lungs began to burn. Flying the jumper was easier than he had anticipated. He had been so against the whole flying lesson idea. He had a lot of work to do and thought flying was something he would never need to do. He thought it may get to him after a while and blast away his intelligence, like a bad drug. No wonder all flyboys acted like they were so superior.

After about half an hour, the jumper cleared the asteroid belt. McKay slowed it to a stop, facing slightly away from the sun, so that they could both still see the HUD through the glare.

"That was really good Rodney, but don't let it get to your head. We still have to get back. Is there any sign of that energy reading you thought you saw?" Sheppard asked.

"Hey, I did see something. You probably weren't paying any attention." He answered, but expanded the scanning range on the HUD again anyway (it had been reduced while traversing the belt to enable better dodging).

A red dot suddenly appeared, rapidly approaching them from the asteroid belt behind. Just then a blast rocked the jumper as it impacted on one of the engine pods. Both McKay and Sheppard swayed slightly in their seats, but the inertial dampeners held.

"Oh, crap," Sheppard said.

"Talk about stating the obvious… again," McKay said in a frantic whisper as he wheeled the jumper round to face their unknown foe.

McKay rolled and pitched the jumper from side to side as they approached the now oncoming ship to avoid the volley of fire it continued to spray in their direction. Several of the shots impacted on the windscreen and sides of the craft.

"It's a wraith dart," Sheppard said after a few seconds, "But what's it doing out here, and why didn't we detect it earlier?"

"I said I saw something straight away, but you didn't believe me did you? I expect it was hidden by the magnetic fields around some of the larger asteroids." McKay was now profusely sweating and his hands visibly shaking. "Maybe you should take over I don't think I can keep this up for much longer."

"I can't Rodney, it would take several seconds to change over, and by then the dart will probably have destroyed us."

"And why can't I fire?!" McKay shot a very quick and nervous glance towards Sheppard.

Sheppard looked away, slightly embarrassed, "I asked Zelenka to disable the drones just in case you accidentally fired them."

"What! I'm not that useless. When we get back I'm going to have a chat with Zelenka about the chain of command."

"I know, I'm sorry, but we have a limited supply of drones and I didn't want to waste any that we could use against the wraith."

"Like now you mean!"

The jumper took a few more hits and then passed by the dart and headed at full speed into the asteroid belt. McKay manoeuvred the ship through several miles of large rocks and then slowed to a stop behind a larger asteroid. He then unbuckled his belt and turned towards the rear section of the jumper.

"What are you doing?" Asked Sheppard. He too got up from his seat and turned to face McKay who was now grabbing his laptop from one of the crates on the floor.

"I'm going to see if I can get the drones back online so that we don't end up as a jumper sandwich between two asteroids when the dart comes back again and blasts our engines out." McKay quickly booted up his laptop and pulled down the ceiling control panel. He then proceeded and plugged his laptop into the panel and started to type away on the screen.

Sheppard watched for a few seconds and then moved across and sat down in the pilot's seat. He strapped himself in and brought the HUD back up. It had disappeared when McKay got up.

The wraith dart suddenly appeared on the sensor screen. It was directly underneath them and fired several shots into the base of the jumper. The ship jolted violently upwards and McKay lost his balance and fell onto the floor, his chest slammed into the corner of a crate on the way down and his laptop flew out of his grasp and across the floor. He closed his eyes, coughed and gagged as he lay curled up on the floor and hugged his arms around his ribcage. When the pain subsided slightly he decided he had recovered sufficiently to open his eyes. He glared at the back of Sheppard's head. Another sharp pain erupted across the right side of his chest as he tried to breathe. He struggled to sit up and retrieve his laptop.

"Sorry about that, the inertial dampeners must have weakened from the hits we took earlier. How are those drones coming along back there?" Sheppard couldn't look round as he was still trying to dodge the asteroids as well as the incoming fire from the dart.

"Oh… yes… fine," McKay replied sarcastically and gasped slightly as he took another shuddering breath.

Sheppard heard the pain in his friend's voice and risked turning around. McKay's was sitting hunched up on the floor, his face was pale and he was holding his right side with his left hand as he continued to tap away frantically on the laptop with his free hand. His face was set with a look of grim determination.

Sheppard looked around to the front of the jumper again. McKay had looked a bit ill and he thought he had heard him fall onto something when the dart had hit them. Sheppard unfortunately didn't have time to help his friend right now or they would both be dead. As long as McKay was still conscious and trying to fix the drones there was nothing more he could do.

McKay continued to study the laptop, trying to avoid taking deep breaths as these only made the pain worse. He needed to be fully focussed on the task, or he would have more than broken ribs to worry about. He steeled himself and tried to ignore the shooting pains across his chest as he worked. It took him several minutes to isolate the problem. The jumper rolled a few more times during McKay's work as it was hit by more wraith dart fire. As McKay was already on the floor, he just swayed and gasped for air through the agony as the movement contorted his damaged rib cage.

"I think I have it," he said finally, "It seems Zelenka just cut the power to the drones by rearranging a few of the control crystals. I just need to get up and put them all back in place correctly."

"Ok, but be quick, I'm not sure how many more hits we can take." Sheppard rolled the jumper again as McKay got up onto his shaky legs, still holding his side.

McKay reached up with his left hand and looked down to consult his laptop on the bench seat in the rear of the jumper. He clenched his teeth as his ribs protested at the stretching motion. He then began muttering softly to himself, "What idiot would disable the drones and then go off-world where all manner of enemies intent on our destruction or capture lurk?" The muttering helped McKay concentrate as he swapped the crystals around. He double checked the laptop and, still standing, he turned to Sheppard.

"That should do it. Try firing the drones." McKay began to make his way painfully back to the cockpit.

The jumper was circling around asteroids with the wraith dart in pursuit. Sheppard was doing an excellent job of avoiding hits from the dart and from hitting the rocks drifting around them on their unpredictable courses. He heard McKay say that the drones were back online and quickly flipped the jumper round to face the dart, which had been tailing them for the last few minutes. He fired off two of the drones. One of the drones hit the side of the dart and it veered into their path. At such close proximity, Sheppard had to swerve rapidly to avoid being hit by the oncoming and out of control dart. He heard a soft thud and an "Ow!" but he had no time to check on McKay just yet. The dart sailed harmlessly by and exploded in a shower of rock fragments and fire on a nearby asteroid.

Sheppard relaxed and turned to see how McKay was. He saw him sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall at the back of the cockpit section. His eyes were closed and he was holding his head with one hand and his side with the other. Sheppard could see a trickle of blood working it's way down the side of McKay's face from under his hand. Sheppard didn't think McKay was unconscious as his face was screwed up in pain.

Just then, McKay's face suddenly went slack and he pitched over to the side and lay sprawled across the deck.

"Oh, crap," Sheppard muttered, "Hold on Rodney."

Sheppard brought the jumper to a stop in a less densely packed area of the belt and got up to help McKay. He felt a strong pulse on his friend's neck, but his breathing came in ragged gasps. Sheppard carefully stepped over him into the back of the jumper to grab the medkit. He placed a bandage over the cut on McKay's forehead, which slowly stopped bleeding. He thought McKay probably had some internal injuries too from falling onto the deck earlier. Sheppard carefully moved McKay into the recovery position and checked his pulse again. It was still strong, so Sheppard decided it was better to make his way back to Atlantis as fast as possible than try to treat his friend's injuries.

Sheppard climbed into the pilot's seat and sped back through the asteroids. He tried to avoid any sudden movement, which may jar McKay and cause further injuries. It only took ten minutes to make it all the way back to the gate, as the dart had chased them most of the way through the belt. McKay groaned a few times, but did not fully wake up throughout the rest of the trip.

Sheppard dialled the gate as soon as he was in range and transmitted his IDC, "Sheppard to control room," he said as soon as the wormhole finished forming, "Please have a med-team standing by in the jumper bay as soon as we're though."

"Is anything wrong?" Weir's concerned voice replied.

"Rodney had a bit of a fall as we were dodging between asteroids and the wraith."

"Wraith!?" Weir sounded a little shocked.

"I'll explain it all as soon as we're back."

The jumper then retracted it's pods and dived through the gate.

* * *

A few days later, Sheppard came into the infirmary and sat down in the chair beside McKay's bed as the scientist typed on his laptop. Dr Beckett had stitched the cut across McKay's forehead fairly easily and advised him that he had a concussion. Fortunately he had not fractured his skull. Beckett had in fact been most concerned about the two broken ribs McKay had suffered. These had made breathing difficult and combined with the head injury it was no surprise that McKay had fallen unconscious. Dr Beckett wanted to keep McKay under observation and immobilised for a few days to make sure his broken ribs didn't move and puncture a lung. McKay was annoyed that there was nothing they could do but stop him from moving and give him painkillers.

"How you holding up?" Sheppard asked after a few seconds.

"Well, you know, it hurts and I can't breathe sometimes, but other than that it's great." McKay carried on typing and took a few shallow breaths and squinted his eyes slightly. Talking still made it worse.

"I've finished training the other ancient gene carriers." Sheppard continued, "We decided to keep them on Lantea, just in case there were anymore darts hidden in that belt."

McKay stopped typing and looked up at Sheppard, "Great, nice to know it only took a concussion and a couple of broken ribs to change your mind. I said at the start it was a bad idea to start with something so… advanced."

Sheppard looked away with a guilty expression and thought how to reply for a moment. "You were the best pilot out of everyone else." Sheppard didn't really think the man's ego needed too much of a boost, he just wanted to avoid the accusing glare and blame in McKay's eyes.

McKay softened slightly, "Really? I thought it was pretty easy."

"Of course, we know you can weave around asteroids, but can you fly in a straight line?!"

At this, Beckett approached and ushered Sheppard out of the infirmary and grabbed McKay's laptop so that he could rest.

* * *

A/N - I would be very grateful for some reviews. Good? Bad? Thanks!


	2. Target Practice

Disclaimer: - "Stargate" and all related characters are the property of MGM Television Entertainment.

This one is set after 'Phantoms' in Season 3.

As before, please review if you like (or if you don't like). Thanks.

**Target Practice**

McKay's voice came over Sheppard's radio in an annoyed buzz, _"Sheppard, we need you over here now."_

Sheppard took a long suffering look at his untouched lunch. He had just settled down to tuck in and was jolted by McKay's harsh voice. He reached up and tapped his radio, "This is Sheppard. I'm just about to have my lunch Rodney. Can't you wait half an hour?"

"_Not really, I think we've found something you'll be very interested in."_ McKay paused for a moment before continuing, _"Of course if food is more important than shiny new weapons, don't worry I'll ask Major Lorne instead."_

McKay was a bit of a hypocrite to talk about the importance of food. The man hardly ever stopped eating, or talking about eating, at every opportunity. However, the thought of new weapons they could use against their many enemies in the Pegasus Galaxy piqued Sheppard's interest and he didn't really want Lorne to see them first.

"Okay. Where are you?" Sheppard grudgingly agreed as he began gathering up his lunch.

"_Over in a warehouse on the West Pier. I'll meet you by the transporter."_

* * *

Sheppard was greeted by McKay's excited face as soon as the transporter door silently opened. The man was bouncing up and down on his toes impatiently awaiting Sheppard's arrival. He had his laptop grasped in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Seeing this, Sheppard reached into his pocket and grabbed a small flashlight too.

"Alright, I'm here now. What's so important you couldn't wait half an hour?" Sheppard stepped out of the transporter as he spoke, and peered around McKay into the well lit corridor beyond. "Why do you have a flashlight anyway?"

McKay ignored the second question. "We're not entirely sure as to the purpose of the items we found in the warehouse, but I think I can make a very accurate guess. I just need you to come over and tell me what you think."

McKay stalked off up the corridor at an alarming speed. Sheppard followed closely, taken aback by his eagerness. This must be something really big to have him practically running to show Sheppard what he'd found.

They both rounded a corner; the lights along the next corridor were out. McKay turned on his flashlight and slowed slightly. Sheppard was able to catch up and they proceeded side-by-side. The walls were covered in slime and a bad smell had begun wafting up the corridor. McKay wrinkled his nose and held a hand up and made a futile attempt to cover his assaulted nostrils.

"Eurgh! That's a really bad smell! We didn't have time to get a cleaning crew over here. The floor's a bit slippery too."

Sheppard noticed McKay was walking with an almost imperceptible limp. He reckoned McKay had already slipped over at least once, but would never admit to it.

The sound of quiet muttering in Czech came to them as they approached their destination. A glow of light at the end of the corridor became brighter until Sheppard was able to see several standing lights that had been hastily set up.

McKay came to an abrupt halt next to the nearest standing light. Beyond it, Sheppard could see a door to the right, where the voice was coming from. He turned to face Sheppard, "Now be very careful not to touch anything, or to even think about activating anything. Although we're working on it, I'm still not one hundred percent sure what these do."

McKay turned again and proceeded through the door, turning off his flashlight as he went. Sheppard followed him inside and gasped.

The room was hexagonal and about the size of the jumper bay. The wall straight ahead had a seem around the edge so that it could probably be opened. Dr Zelenka was next to a control panel to the right of the door. This was not what had made Sheppard gasp though; two of the other four walls had racks going up to the ceiling with drones on them. It looked like there were hundreds of drones in the room. They didn't look like ordinary drones though; they were the same shape and size, but they were red. On the final two walls, also in racks, many brown circular objects were lined up. Each circle was about two metres in diameter and about half a metre in thickness.

McKay looked at Sheppard expectantly. He let out a whistle, "What do you think they're for?" He asked indicating the circular objects.

"Well from what we can tell, they are made of an extremely strong material and they also aren't touching the rack. They are just secured in place, but don't seem to be obeying any of the normal rules of gravity."

Zelenka ceased his mutterings when he heard the two men enter the room and walked over while they were talking.

Zelenka looked at McKay, "The door, it will not open. Perhaps the Colonel here may be able to help?"

Sheppard took his cue and walked swiftly over to the control panel and waved his hand across, while thinking, "Open!" at the same time.

The door obeyed his ATA gene and with a loud swish and scraping sound it split down the middle and the two halves retracted into the walls on either side, behind the gravity-defying circular objects in the racks. Zelenka's exasperated sigh was drowned out by the noise.

All three of them, now standing by the opening door, looked out to see a flat area, about the size of half a football pitch, beyond the door. It was the right size for even an unskilled jumper pilot to safely land with room to spare.

Sheppard blinked his eyes in the sudden bright sunlight now flooding into the room. He turned and walked over to one of the racks holding the strange red drones. "That's a lot of drones. I thought we were nearly out of drones and how come we've never found this little storage area before?"

McKay grimaced slightly, as if the Colonel was insulting him for not finding them sooner. "The city is far too large for us to safely catalogue every single room and it's contents. Half the rooms are inaccessible due to flooding or doors that we are unable to open." He looked down at the laptop still clutched in his hand and pressed a few buttons. "We found this room this morning as there was an intermittent power reading emanating from here. Most likely it came from the all these red drones." He waved his hand absently in the direction of the wall behind Sheppard without taking his eyes off the laptop screen.

"Any ideas why they're red like that? Are they any different from the ones we normally use?" Sheppard's eyes then lit up, "Are they more powerful, accurate?"

Zelenka answered this time, "From what we can tell, they are emitting less power than the standard drones. We cannot tell exactly what they do though without a test."

McKay turned back to Sheppard, "That's why we called you down here. We'll stay here and carry on trying to ascertain more information and you can go and speak with Doctor Weir, for permission to get a jumper and bring it down here."

"Trial by fire, huh?" Sheppard tried to ignore the incessant way McKay ordered him around. He was only a civilian, but the military was there to protect them and Sheppard only had a run and sparring session with Ronon scheduled for the afternoon. It looked like this was hopefully going to be more entertaining and interesting than getting cracked over the head with a stick for the umpteenth time this week.

Sheppard walked closer to one of the drones on a lower rack. As he approached he was shocked to feel the familiar sensation of the weapon powering up.

"Colonel, no!" McKay's startled shout echoed around the hanger. The drone glowed bright red and Sheppard began rapidly backing away shielding the two scientists behind him.

A high pitched and loud hiss emanated from the end of the drone and Sheppard felt, rather than saw, a small bullet sized projectile that came from the front of the drone. It was headed straight towards the three of them. Sheppard concentrated and was able to divert it around them. He also now felt the presence of all the circular objects in the room hovering, waiting for his next thought. He willed the projectile to circle around the room several times, high enough to not hit McKay, Zelenka or himself.

The projectile then hit one of the highest floating targets with a sharp, loud and final "Blip" noise.

Sheppard turned back to the two scientists with an apologetic look on his face. He found Zelenka immediately behind him, his jaw was slack as he was glaring at the Colonel in surprise. McKay was obscured by Zelenka and was trying to make himself very small. His arms were thrown over his head and his laptop laid forgotten on the floor next to him. His eyes were scrunched up in terror, his lips pressed harshly together in a thin line.

Sheppard held his hands up in surrender, sidestepped around Zelenka and grabbed one of McKay's arms, trying to pry them away from the man's head. He didn't have any luck though as they seemed to be in a death grip and unyielding to Sheppard's gentle tug.

"It's okay Rodney – I made it hit one of the targets." McKay opened one of his eyes. Seeing that the danger seemed to have passed, he gingerly lowered his arms and straightened up.

"What were you thinking!? You could have killed us with that thing!"

"I didn't know it was going to activate – I just wanted to get a closer look to see whether I felt anything from it." Sheppard turned back to the rack, Zelenka had shut his mouth, but still looked quite shocked. Sheppard was sure he could see a small flare of anger beginning in the man's eyes. Perhaps it was time to make a hasty exit.

"It fired a projectile, which I hit into one of those targets over there. Perhaps I'll call it a 'mini-drone.' It felt about the size of a bullet when I was controlling it." Sheppard looked up at the target he hit and closed his eyes in concentration. The target moved away from it's rack and floated slowly down towards them.

When it reached the ground, it was still hovering a few centimetres above the ground.

"That's interesting." McKay stated, his fear now forgotten. He began to walk slowly around the target. He reached into his pocket and brought out a portable scanner. He held it out in front of him, close to the target. In his eagerness to get a better reading, his hand gently brushed against the target and he grimaced and quickly pulled his hand back. It was enough though; one side of the target lit up in a soft blue glow. There was a black dot in the centre where the mini-drone had hit it. There were no other visible marks or damage to the target.

Sheppard backed away from the two scientists who seemed to be getting more absorbed in their analysis of the newly activated target.

"I'm going to have a word with Dr Weir. Hopefully I'll be back down soon with a jumper, so we can test these out."

"Ok, see you later." McKay absently replied, he had retrieved his laptop from the floor and plugged the scanner in. Sheppard could see streams of code and data scrolling up the screen as McKay frowned and tapped away at the keyboard. Zelenka was hovering nearby, trying to decide whether he would be able to get away with leaning over McKay's shoulder for much longer to look at the data.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Sheppard expertly landed the jumper in the middle of the open area outside the mini-drone and target hanger. He had no trouble convincing Dr Weir to test out the mini-drones. It would be much better than using live, full-sized drones for training purposes. He agreed that he would be the one to test them first, before he was able to train the other ATA gene carriers to fire them.

Sheppard opened the rear hatch and walked over to where McKay and Zelenka stood by the open hanger door.

"Hurry up Colonel." McKay's impatience was thinly veiled on his face. Zelenka looked away to the side where two red drones were sitting on the ground. McKay had decided it would be safer for the Czech to touch them and load them into the pods on the jumper. He did not want any more unexpected activations.

"Okay Rodney, Dr Weir agreed for us to set up five targets around the city, restricting them to the outer piers, just in case we lost control of one of the mini-drones."

"_Or if _you_ lose control of a mini-drone, more like."_ McKay thought, but said out loud, "How are we going to set them up?"

"I'm not sure yet, but it was fairly easy to move that one down from the ceiling."

Zelenka picked up one of the drones from the floor and walked over to the jumper, "I'll just begin to fit these to drive pods while you move the targets, yes?"

Sheppard and McKay looked at each other and then at the targets lining two of the walls.

McKay shut his eyes and reached his hand out towards one of the targets on the lower level. Almost like he was trying to use his hand to grab and move the target from it's rack. To his surprise, he felt it tremble slightly in his mind, but then it settled and wouldn't move again. Obviously his artificial ATA gene wasn't enough.

"Move over and I'll have another go." Sheppard said. McKay looked a little put out, but obeyed and went over to check on Zelenka's progress.

Sheppard kept his eyes open and willed the targets to move down towards him. It took a lot of concentration, like firing the drones themselves, but he was able to move them one at a time. Soon five targets were hovering obediently next to him in the doorway to the hanger.

McKay walked back over to him when all the targets were ready. "Radek and I have managed to calibrate this scanner to the frequency of the targets. They emit a power reading we are able to pick up and monitor. Radek would like to go to the control room and record the accuracy of the mini-drone impacts on the targets."

"Hey, don't think I'm a lousy shot just yet. Let's get up there first and see."

Zelenka came out of the back of the jumper and walked over to where McKay and Sheppard stood.

"The drones are fitted. I did it the same way as normal drones." Zelenka walked between them and the floating targets and picked up his laptop from the floor. "I'm going to control room to monitor the flight. Wait for my signal before proceeding."

* * *

Sheppard sat in the pilot seat of the jumper and performed the pre-flight check. McKay sat down and strapped himself into the seat next to him. They had discussed how to get the targets airborne, but McKay believed that wherever Sheppard willed the targets to go, they would and they would stay there.

Zelenka had already made it to the control room and advised them he had a live feed from the targets to his laptop and from the jumper and red drones to another laptop he had set up.

Sheppard smoothly lifted the jumper off the ground and spun it around to face the hovering targets still in the doorway of the hanger. All five of them flew upwards towards the jumper. Sheppard brought up the HUD, which showed the jumper and the targets as they moved.

"Why don't you try positioning them behind the rear hatch. Then we can see where we're going as we deploy them around the edges of the city?" McKay advised, he too had his computer ready in his hands, but was currently monitoring the HUD with Sheppard.

Sheppard decided he would try what McKay had suggested. The targets disappeared below the jumper, which was now hovering several metres off the ground. According to the HUD they neatly lined up behind the rear hatch and stayed there even as Sheppard carefully tested them by inching the jumper forward.

"Seems to be working ok." McKay smiled smugly as his suggestion worked perfectly.

Sheppard, now increasing in confidence, moved the jumper faster and gained more altitude. The targets stayed glued to the rear hatch as he proceeded. He circled around to the end of the West pier and dropped one of the targets off the rear door.

Just as McKay had predicted, it stayed exactly where it had been dropped and floated mysteriously in mid-air. "I have to try and find out how they're able to float like that." McKay looked down and typed into his laptop, studying the readings emanating from the targets. "Although they are emitting an energy reading, it's not familiar."

Zelenka's voice came over their radios, _"Yes it is strange. Perhaps it uses the same power source as jumpers, which enables them to float in air without any engines like ones we are familiar with from earth."_

"Hmm," McKay agreed over the radio and continued to tap away on the laptop.

Sheppard deployed the other four targets at the edges of four more piers. Three high and two low. He didn't place any over the sea, as he did not wish to lose them if they suddenly lost power and fell. He was sure McKay would feel the same way, but did not want to interrupt the scientist's work as he studied the readings on his laptop.

"Ok, are you ready Rodney?"

"Yes, ok." McKay looked up from his laptop and at the HUD where the five targets were shown in bright red on the display screen. "I suggest you do a quick pass and fire a single mini-drone into each target. Then a second pass and try to fire several mini-drones at once at the same target to see the difference."

"That should keep my brain busy, controlling several mini-drones at once."

"If it works though, this would be an excellent training exercise for the future."

Sheppard moved the jumper off in the direction of the nearest target and fired a mini-drone. McKay traced the mini-drone's path through the air towards the target. Although Sheppard shot it out of the red drone pod in a direction other than towards the target, it was still able to curve in the air like the normal drones.

A loud 'blip' noise reverberated around the jumper as the mini-drone struck the target.

"Bulls eye!" McKay stated as he studied the incoming data from the laptop.

Sheppard, becoming more confident sped the jumper around the edge of Atlantis and fired single shots into the other four targets.

McKay looked up from his laptop, safe in the knowledge that it would be recording all the data for analysis later. This he had to see with his own eyes rather than just on the small screen. "Alright, let's see how cocky you are by firing multiple mini-drones at once."

Sheppard gave McKay an annoyed look, but then he didn't really expect McKay to be impressed. It would take a lot more to impress the man than hitting a few targets; even if every one was a bulls-eye. He flipped the jumper round and zoomed towards the first target as quickly as he could. Firing two mini-drones from each of the pods towards the target – he'd show McKay that he was no cocky pushover.

It only took a second to realise that he had misjudged the remaining distance to the target. Three of the mini-drones hit their mark, but the fourth was still in front of them as the jumper sped past the floating target. Sheppard lost control of the mini-drone as the jumper passed above the target. He was vaguely aware that he still had it honed to hitting the target, but to do that it would have to double back past the jumper.

"Rodney, get down!" Sheppard called as he tried to veer the jumper from the course of the mini-drone heading back towards them to hit the target behind.

But it was too late…

The mini-drone passed through the jumper windshield and out through a hole it made in the rear hatch. On it's way it mercilessly sliced through the soft flesh of McKay's upper right arm.

McKay cried out in pain as another loud 'blip' rang out in the cockpit.

Sheppard instantly stopped the jumper in mid air to help McKay and also to lessen the progress of the rapidly growing crack that had now appeared across the windscreen. Sheppard unbuckled his seatbelt. "What happened?"

"You shot me! Again!" McKay's teeth were clenched in pain and he had his hand pressed firmly to the front of his arm, but Sheppard could see it was a futile gesture. Blood was blossoming on his shirt at the rear of his arm and running down into the palm of his other hand.

"I didn't do it on purpose! If you had been more impressed at my super accurate sharp-shooting, maybe I wouldn't have tried firing so many."

"Oh, so it's my fault now is it? Ow ow ow!" McKay carried on whimpering as Sheppard wrapped his arm snugly with a field dressing he retrieved from one of his pockets.

"Sheppard to control room."

"Go ahead Colonel." Weir replied.

"We've had a little accident, McKay's been shot by one of the mini-drones. It's not too serious, but can you have a medical team standing by in the jumper bay?"

"Ok," Weir sounded worried, "How are you doing Rodney?"

McKay opened his eyes, which had begun to water slightly at the pain. "Well you know - it's not the first time Mr Itchy Trigger Finger here has got me. I'm getting used to it now."

Weir was relieved that the man still had the strength to make jokes, "Glad to hear that Rodney. I'll see you in a minute."

* * *

A few days later, Sheppard entered McKay's lab to find him with his arm pressed across his chest in a sling. He was one finger typing at a computer and ignored Sheppard as he entered.

"How are you today Rodney?"

McKay looked up and gave Sheppard a sour look and went back to typing.

"I said sorry – I didn't mean to shoot you again. Didn't Carson say that you found out some interesting facts about the mini-drones as a result of the incident?"

McKay stopped typing and looked up at Sheppard. "Yes, but it didn't have to hurt so much to find out." He absently rubbed at his lower arm in the sling and grimaced as it shifted and pulled on the bandage hidden under his shirt. "Apparently the mini-drones are constructed of energy, rather than the solid mass of the larger drones. They're also incredibly hot, almost like laser beams. Carson didn't have too much work to do when I got to the infirmary. Apart from the initial bleeding caused by the drone passing through my arm, the injury was cauterised on impact."

McKay stopped talking and looked at the ground. Sheppard thought he suddenly went pale and looked as though he was going to be sick or faint. Talking about the memory of being shot was obviously not doing anything to make him feel any better. Sheppard walked over and placed a hand on McKay's uninjured shoulder.

"Do you want to take a break? It's nearly lunchtime. How about I start trying to make it up to you by getting you lunch."

McKay brightened up at the thought of food. "I think you'll need to get me lunch for the next, say, month at least to make it up!"

"Okay, okay Rodney. Just as long as you're feeling better."

They both left the room and headed off to the mess hall.


	3. Mountain Rescue

Disclaimer: - "Stargate" and all related characters and images are the property of MGM Television Entertainment.

**Mountain Rescue**

"Remind me again why I'm doing this," Rodney asked through clenched teeth. The tight harness was biting into his legs and hips as he walked towards the open jumper hatch.

Sheppard, the only other person in the jumper, turned around from the pilot's chair, "Come _on_ Rodney. I've already taught several marines, Ronon and Teyla. You never know who may get stuck on a mountain or cliff and need rescuing."

The jumper was hovering next to an alien cliff. The team found it several weeks ago and it had the geologists of the expedition talking in excited whispers ever since. It was several miles high and almost completely flat and vertical. The geologists had told them it was due to massive tectonic plate activity on the planet as another piece of land slid underneath. Such things existed on Earth, but never on such a large scale.

Rodney moved slowly across to the hatch and peered over the edge. He could not see the ground. The jumper was high enough that it was surrounded by clear blue skies and below there was a hazy mist obscuring the ground. The air was perfectly breathable and warm, even at this altitude. He quickly stepped back and put a hand on his chest to try and calm his nerves.

"I'm sorry John, I don't think I can do this," he admitted.

"You'll be fine. I checked your harness and it's securely clamped. All you have to do is lean out and grab one of the crates we secured to the cliff earlier," Sheppard said in a calm voice.

"This is so ridiculous!" Rodney said as he folded his arms across his chest. "I have work to do and I need to make sure no-one blows anything up in my absence. How high up are we anyway?"

"Three miles. We're quite near the top of the cliff."

"Just this little rope to keep me from falling," Rodney's voice was quaking in fear.

"It's _fine_ we both checked and double checked it. It will hold." Sheppard was beginning to get a bit annoyed with his friend.

"Rodney, this is as much as a training exercise for me and it is for you. These jumpers can be really twitchy when you fly them. It takes all of my concentration to keep it still and not swing into the cliff."

"That's not really selling me on this idea Colonel."

"Look! Just lean out and grab the damn crate! Imagine it's Teyla or Ronon or something. The sooner you do it, the sooner we can get back to Atlantis and you can put out the fires in your lab."

Rodney sighed and decided Sheppard was right. He hated the fear and tension and completing the exercise would alleviate it.

He walked back to the open hatch and stared at the crate perched on a small ledge on the cliff. The crate was secured in a net. All Rodney had to do was lean out and clip a spare line onto the top of the net. The open hatch would be close enough so that he could just drag the crate into the rear compartment of the jumper.

Rodney did not dare look down again as he stood on the open door. He was afraid a sudden gust would roll up or along the cliff face and blow him from the door. He held the spare rope tightly in his hand and became grateful for the reassuring tightness of the harness around him.

Sheppard was closely monitoring Rodney's progress on the HUD. He had a 3D image of the rear section of the jumper and cliff. He had moved the jumper so close to the cliff that he thought it would be possible to stand with half a foot in the jumper and the other half of the same foot on the cliff.

Rodney leaned over the crate and put one foot on the ledge to get better balance. The kept his other foot on the jumper hatch.

He was just about to secure the spare rope to the crate when a huge up draught of wind came from the unseen ground below.

The jumper rapidly pitched upwards as Sheppard lost control. Rodney quickly jumped onto the ledge and flattened himself against the cliff with his eyes closed. He did not see how close the hatch came to hitting his back. The securing rope on Rodney's harness was slack for a moment and then became taut. He was brutally yanked from the cliff face and screamed as he swung out quickly and helplessly under the jumper.

He knew what would come next and put both his arms up to protect his head.

He swung back towards the cliff at an alarming rate. His screams stopped as he slammed into the cliff and lost all his breath. He felt something snap, but was in too much shock to know exactly what it had been.

* * *

Sheppard was fighting to regain control of the jumper and he could see Rodney on the HUD as he swung backwards and forwards and hit the cliff a few more times. The frightened and pained noises from outside the jumper stopped after the second impact.

When Sheppard finally regained control, he moved the jumper to hover far enough away from the cliff so that Rodney was no longer within swinging distance as he hung limply by his safety rope and harness underneath. Sheppard could see there was a life sign reading displayed on the HUD, so Rodney was okay, for now. He needed urgent help though.

Sheppard jumped up from his seat and made his way over to the rear compartment. Just then, the hook they had been using to secure people gave up under the strain. He watched in horror as the rope preventing Rodney's fall tore from the wall and whipped out the back of the jumper hatch.

* * *

Rodney regained consciousness, but kept his eyes closed. It felt as though there was no area on his body not screaming in agony. He cried out as he gently swung by the harness around him, it pressed against deep bruises.

He remembered falling from the jumper and slamming into the cliff and a horrible snap as one of his bones broke. Carefully he wiggled his toes; they felt fine. Next he moved his fingers; the right hand was fine, but trying to move his left sent spasms of pain across his forearm.

He was contemplating opening his eyes to check the damage, but the harness suddenly felt loose and the next thing he knew he was falling. He squinted up to see the jumper getting smaller as he fell away from it.

He screamed as he fell. He hated the feeling of falling as his insides felt like they were rising to try and stay in the sky. He had always avoided theme park rides. Why subject yourself to fear intentionally just to get an adrenaline buzz for enjoyment? He would never understand.

After a few seconds the falling sensation dissipated until it was just the air rushing past him and whistling in his ears.

Formulae ran across his mind. Assuming the gravity on this planet was the same as Earth it would only be a matter of seconds before the inevitable. He rolled onto his front against the air, closed his eyes and spread himself out as far as his injured limbs would allow. He was just hoping Sheppard was as crazy as he thought.

* * *

Sheppard did not waste any time as he ran back and thumped down into the pilot's chair. He angled the jumper's nose down and willed it to dive as fast as possible.

Due to the artificial gravity and inertial dampeners he still remained glued in his chair as the jumper plummeted.

He reassured himself that there was still time. They had been three miles up.

He expanded the HUD so that he could see his progress. He moved the jumper over to the side of the rapidly dropping life sign. As he came close several drops of blood hit the windscreen and were quickly blasted off as the jumper sliced through the atmosphere.

Sheppard ignored them as he manoeuvred the jumper underneath Rodney. He had left the hatch open and prayed this would work.

Sheppard could see the ground now and was alarmed by how fast it was rushing up to meet him. He would only get one chance at this and then it would all be over.

He equalised the speed of the jumper with Rodney and carefully slowed it down. He made the HUD zoom to a very close perspective as Rodney approached the rear hatch.

Rodney came through the hatch and cried out as the conflicting gravity threw him against the sides of the jumper and then he fell onto the floor and lay still.

Sheppard sighed in relief and shut the rear hatch of the jumper and slammed on the brakes while pulling the nose sharply back towards the sky. He swore the jumper skimmed the ground before ascending.

Once Sheppard was sure that he would not be pounding the jumper into the ground until it was crushed like a tin can; he set it to hover and ran into the back to check on Rodney.

Rodney was lying on his back on the floor in the rear compartment. He was still breathing, but in shallow gasps. Sheppard grabbed the med kit and quickly placed an oxygen mask over Rodney's face and then checked for more injuries.

There were nasty and deep cuts on his hands, arms and legs and blood was running onto the floor of the jumper. Sheppard could see that Rodney's arm was broken. He hastily cut away torn clothes around the injuries he could see. He then pressed and wrapped bandages around the worst of the cuts but he did not touch the arm.

As he cut away Rodney's shirt he saw dark purple bruises spreading across his friend's chest and torso. There was also another deep and bleeding gash sliced across Rodney's chest. Sheppard put another bandage on the cut, but did not press in case Rodney had broken ribs.

"Now don't you die on me, Rodney," Sheppard said.

Rodney twitched as Sheppard threw a field blanket over him and tucked it in.

"I knew I could trust you to be crazy enough," Rodney whispered through the mask over his nose and mouth.

Sheppard moved up and knelt by his friend. There was blood trickling from the corner of Rodney's mouth.

"Thanks Rodney. You just hang in there and I'll get us back to Atlantis in double quick time."

"Very funny," Rodney muttered his voice trailed off and he passed out again.

Sheppard sat in the pilot's chair and sped back to the gate at top speed.

* * *

Carson came out of surgery hours after Sheppard had returned a very seriously injured Rodney back to Atlantis.

Ronon, Weir, Sheppard and Teyla were all waiting anxiously.

"How is Doctor McKay?" Teyla asked.

"Well, he's still critical, but stable for now. I'm going to keep him on a ventilator for at least a day. I think we repaired all the internal damage and we sure had a lot of needlework to do on all those cuts."

Sheppard asked, "What about the arm?"

"Well it was badly fractured and it will be several weeks before he can use it again."

Ronon asked, "Can we see him?"

"Well you can look for a second, but don't disturb him."

* * *

Sheppard came back to check on Rodney several times every day. Carson took him off the ventilator the next day.

Sheppard sat in the chair next to Rodney's bed. Rodney was extremely pale and had IV lines going into his arms. He was wrapped in bandages and had his arm in a cast. Sheppard thought he looked a bit like a mummy.

As he stirred, Sheppard put down his book and called for Carson.

"Yes what is it Colonel? Oh," Carson leaned across Rodney and checked the readouts.

Rodney muttered, "I think I may give it a miss the next time Sheppard tries to get me to go on a training mission."

"I'm _really_ sorry Rodney," said Sheppard, "I thought the rope would hold. I'd already trained several people before you."

Rodney opened his eyes and looked at Sheppard, "However, I'm glad you are the best pilot here and the only one mad enough to pull off the stunt that saved me."

Rodney began drifting away once more.

"No promises about the training missions Rodney. Just get better and we'll see," Sheppard said with a smirk…

* * *

A/N – Sorry to those guys reading Avenging Angel. This story bit me last night and I just _had_ to get it down. Also I can only write Avenging Angel at night, in the dark!


	4. Re Entry

Disclaimer – I don't own it, you all know I don't own it…

**Re-Entry**

The Jumper wobbled on an unsteady course through the airless vacuum. It cut a wavy path above the planet looming underneath. Swirling white clouds were dotted above the deep ocean far far below. The endless blue expanse covered the entire visible portion of the planet.

Resting on the ocean, invisible at this altitude, was the city of Atlantis.

Rodney tutted at his piloting ineptitude and gripped the controls more tightly. The Jumper responded by lurching sharply to the right.

"Damn it!" He muttered under his breath, fighting to keep the ship on course.

He was alone in the Jumper. The rest of his team were in a military training exercise and he had not been invited. Sheppard had told him that his mission was far more important.

He had been tasked to deploy some proximity space mines in orbit around Atlantis. The next time the Wraith showed up, the mines would be remotely activated and detonated. The mines would be powered down and undetectable until they were activated. By then it would be too late for the Wraith to avoid them.

This was Rodney's first trip and he had five mines secured in the rear compartment. He had a total of twenty mines to deploy. This was going to be a long day. One of his science teams, led by Dr Kavanagh had been working on the triggering mechanism for the last couple of weeks.

Rodney could not stand the man, so had kept well clear until the work was completed. Dr Weir had tried to persuade Kavanagh to accompany McKay in the deployment, but Kavanagh had dug in his heels and refused to go. He had vehemently muttered something about intolerable working conditions and creative differences. Rodney was the only one left who had the gene to fly the jumper.

Rodney reached his destination after a slight detour as he circled around the site a couple of times. He tapped his radio, "McKay to Control Room. I'm in position and will now proceed to begin mine deployment."

Dr Weir answered, _"Acknowledged. We're monitoring your progress. We wondered if you were alright?"_

Rodney sighed, "You all know that I'm a excellent pilot."

He imagined Weir's face as she tried to suppress her laughter. She was good though and did not let her amusement show through, _"Be careful Rodney."_

"Okay. McKay out."

He shut down the radio and set the Jumper to hover. Stars looked down at him through the windshield. He got up and went into the rear compartment with his tablet in hand.

The mines were ominous and fairly large. It had been a tight squeeze to fit them inside. Rodney had also insisted on a space suit, which was safely tucked away behind one of the spare chairs in the cockpit.

He moved to plug his tablet into the first mine and check it's connection to Atlantis. They had not yet been tested in space at this distance, however they had activated perfectly on the base.

Before he could attach the lead, the mine began bleeping and a red light flashed on the top.

Rodney opened his eyes widely in panic. Kavanagh seemed to have left the triggering mechanism online.

Rodney watched, frozen to the spot as the base of the mine crumpled in heat. Suddenly a stream of fire and debris shot out of the bottom of the mine. It streamed across the floor rapidly and hit Rodney in the legs. He cried out and collapsed, as his legs could no longer support him.

He rolled over and crawled into the cockpit. He staggered to his knees next to the pilot's console and quickly shut the bulkhead door. The heat disappeared for a moment. He was gasping and sobbing in pain as he pressed another button to open the rear hatch and jettison the mines.

He heard a reassuring whoosh and several clangs as the mines flew out the back of the Jumper.

He closed the hatch, re-pressurised the rear compartment and opened the bulkhead door.

He slumped down onto the floor and leant back against the DHD panel and closed his eyes. He tapped his radio as he panted through the agony. He did not dare look down at the damage just done to his legs.

"McKay to Control Room," his voice was shaking and weak.

Weir sounded concerned, _"We read you Rodney. What happened? We just watched as you jettisoned all the mines at once."_

"I… had… to," Rodney winced and began shaking violently against the pain.

"_Are you alright?"_

"No," Rodney huffed and tried in vain to control his shuddering, "One of the mines activated in the Jumper. I was standing too close, it shot out debris and fire into my legs. I can't move."

_"Okay, stay put. I'm going to send another Jumper to assist. I'll call Colonel Sheppard and Dr Beckett."_

Rodney replied quietly, "Mmm okay."

He was unsure how they were going to rescue him. The Daedalus was weeks away in the Milky Way Galaxy and Jumpers could not dock together as the hatches opened outwards.

Weir's voice came again over the radio, _"Talk to us Rodney. How badly are you hurt?"_

"I don't know yet. I can't look." Rodney was beginning to feel light-headed and cold, "Blood loss," he thought as his heart fluttered in his chest trying to pump a reduced amount of blood around his body.

_"Rodney, get to the med kit and patch yourself up. It will be several minutes before the other Jumper is with you."_

"Okay." Rodney gritted his teeth and opened his eyes.

A particularly gory sight met him; his lower legs were burned and raw. There was a piece of shrapnel protruding from his right shin. Blood was leaking from the wound and pooling onto the deck below.

"Oh! Ow ow ow!" He said through clenched teeth as the pain increased.

Weir had obviously called Carson and he now spoke on the radio, _"How bad is it Rodney?"_

"Um… pretty bad. They're really burnt."

_"We're en route to you now. I need you to get to the med kit and then I'll tell you what to do."_

"Okay okay."

Rodney thought for a moment, considering the most jar free way he could get to the rear of the Jumper. He spun sideways and rolled onto his back facing the front of the Jumper. He then carefully used his arms to pull himself along the floor backwards. He cried out several times as the movement caused fresh agonies to jolt up his legs.

By the time he reached the back of the Jumper he was panting as though he had just been chased by the Wraith. He lay back and looked at the ceiling for a moment.

Carson asked, _"How're you doing lad?"_

Rodney recovered from his trance at the sound of his friend's voice, "It hurts. I think I may be about to pass out."

_"Less of that, son. I want you to grab the med kit and I'll talk you through what to do."_

Suddenly a loud alarm began broadcasting from the Jumper cockpit. Rodney pushed himself upright to see the control panel. Without the HUD, he was unable to figure out what was going on.

He spoke into his radio, "Something's happening. There's an alarm going off. Oh no!"

Several large explosions close at hand suddenly went off. Each one impacted against the side of the Jumper. It began to spin out of control. The last explosion was larger than the rest and Rodney covered his head as the control crystal tray above him blew out in a shower of sparks.

The Jumper became silent and the lights went out as it lost power.

Rodney reached up and tapped his radio, "McKay to Atlantis?"

He received nothing but static in reply. Without power, the radio had just become a normal Earth one, with a severely limited range.

"McKay to Carson?"

Rodney was surprised to hear Sheppard's voice in reply, _"We're here Rodney. We just watched the mines explode and your Jumper is now turning erratically out of control."_

"My legs hurt."

Carson said, _"Aye, I know Rodney. I want you to grab the med kit and wrap them up."_

Rodney gritted his teeth and reached up to grab the medical kit from under the rear compartment bench. He unzipped it and pulled out some pressure bandages.

_"You told us they were burned. So don't use the pressure bandages. There should be some special burn ones in the med kit. Just roll them around your legs loosely to protect them."_

Rodney tossed the pressure bandages aside and rummaged around in the med kit, triumphantly pulling out some different bandages after a minute. He wrapped one around his left leg over his clothes. He then moved onto the right leg and he wrapped another one around, carefully avoiding the imbedded metal.

When he finished he spoke into the radio, "My right leg has a piece of metal in it. It's really bleeding."

Carson sounded shocked, _"Okay, grab a small thin pressure bandage and wrap it around the metal. Don't whatever you do attempt to pull it out."_

"Like I'd be that stupid." Rodney gasped as he did as Carson had instructed.

"Okay now what?"

Sheppard spoke again, _"Now we get you out of there. Uh oh!"_

"What now?" Asked Rodney. He had sunk back down to lie on the floor of the Jumper with his eyes closed.

"_Your Jumper is spinning down in a rapidly decaying orbit."_ Sheppard sounded worried.

It did not do anything to calm Rodney's already shredded nerves, "If I can restore power, everything will be alright."

Rodney steeled himself. This was more than a simple repair. It was about survival. If he did not do this he was going to die. He sat up and grabbed the corner of the bench in the rear of the Jumper. He screamed as he pulled himself upright and stood on his left leg.

He panted heavily and reached up to the ceiling crystal tray. It was completely fried. Most of the crystals were broken or blackened and useless. There was no way to fix it without any spare crystals. Some of the relays seemed to be still working, but there was no way he could rearrange the crystals and get the engines back.

He sat down on the bench, "I'm sorry John. It's too badly damaged. We need another option." He snapped his fingers and stood up again, "I have a space suit. I could put it on, open the rear hatch and drift over to you."

Rodney hopped to the cockpit and picked up the suit and frowned, "It's no good John, the suit was burnt and damaged by the fire, it's completely useless."

Sheppard spoke over the radio once more, _"We have two space suits over here. I could suit up and bring the spare one over to you."_

Rodney brightened up at this. Maybe he was not going to die today after all, "Okay I'll just seal off the rear compartment and open the hatch."

He hopped over to the emergency door controls and pulled the levers. Nothing happened. His face fell in frustration and tears began welling up in his eyes.

"That's no good either. There's no power or maybe it's damaged. I can't close the middle bulkhead."

Rodney sat down in one of the chairs, defeated. He wiped a hand across his face brushing away the tears.

Sheppard's calm voice came over the radio, _"I wasn't sure about that idea anyway Rodney. Your Jumper is close to entering the atmosphere. There's no guarantee we could get to you in time and not burn up."_

Rodney just let out a sigh and watched in front of him as the windshield showed a dizzying and disorientating display. He saw alternating views of the planet and the stars rushing by as the Jumper rolled end over end.

A moment later, Sheppard spoke again on the radio, _"Zelenka just suggested we use the grapple to try and pull you up into a stable orbit."_

* * *

Sheppard monitored the HUD in concentration. Rodney's Jumper was just about the breach the upper atmosphere. There was so little time.

Zelenka had told him to hurry and that he would need to match to the spin of the other Jumper or the grapple would just break.

Carson was watching, his face torn by anxiety.

Sheppard began rolling the Jumper, grateful for inertial dampeners. After a few minutes the sky and horizon were rolling across the windshield, while relatively Rodney's Jumper remained stationary.

Just as Sheppard was lining up to fire the grapple, they entered the upper atmosphere. He watched as the metal of the other Jumper glowed orange and white flames surrounded it. They were coming in far too fast.

He quickly finished moving the Jumper and checked the HUD. He pressed a control and the grapple shot out in front and impacted to the side of the other Jumper's rear hatch.

He very gently nudged the controls, so as not to dislodge the cable or damage the other Jumper. The HUD showed that it was working. The descent speed of Rodney's Jumper slowed down and it even stopped spinning so violently.

Zelenka's voice came over the radio, _"It is not enough. There will not be enough time to stop the other Jumper before it hits ground."_

Sheppard looked down, "Well I'm fresh out of ideas, what are we going to do?"

Rodney had heard him and his weak voice came over the radio, _"You said you had a couple of space suits? I think I may have a solution."_

* * *

The Jumper's circled around each other in a bizarre dance as they fell through the sky. Tethered together by a tenuous cable.

Sheppard was in the back of his Jumper hastily stuffing himself into a space suit. Carson had reluctantly taken over the controls and Sheppard had told him not to move or deviate from the current course by even a millimetre. They were currently in the radio black out zone.

Sheppard finished securing his helmet when the radio crackled to life.

"Okay Rodney, are you ready? I'm coming across to you know."

"_Okay. Did I tell you this idea is absolutely crazy?"_

"You may have mentioned it once or twice, but you thought of it so I don't know why you're complaining."

Sheppard had spun the Jumper through 180 degrees so that the cable was now underneath the rear hatch.

He tied a harness around the suit and attached a couple of ropes. One was secured in the back of the jumper and another one hung loosely by his side. He had roped the other space suit onto his back and staggered slightly under the weight.

When he was finished, he spoke, "Okay Carson. Let's do this."

The middle bulkhead in Sheppard's Jumper closed and the rear hatch opened.

Sheppard was blasted by the sudden gust of wind, which howled into the rear compartment. Only the ropes saved him. He looked out of the door and saw a truly terrifying sight.

In front of him was a thin cable between his Jumper and Rodney's. Behind Rodney's Jumper the sea stretched out as far as he could see. It was impossible to tell how high up they were, but he knew they did not have very long.

He closed his eyes and reached out of the rear hatch. He attached a metal clip onto the cable and undid the clip keeping him attached to his Jumper. For Rodney's sake he had to do this.

When his rope was secure, he reached out his hands and grabbed hold of the cable. Then he eased himself out of the Jumper. His stomach rolled and protested at the sudden G-Forces as he was thrown about by the spin. He kept hold of the rope and moved slowly across.

When he was halfway he spoke, "Are you ready Rodney? You remember what you need to do."

Rodney's voice came over in a harsh whisper, _"I'm ready Colonel. All roped up and secure."_

"Okay. Do it!"

The rear hatch of Rodney's Jumper opened as he pulled the manual release. Sheppard saw his terror and pain filled eyes for a second before he too was thrown backwards by in rush of air. He had an oxygen mask on his face, but he closed his eyes against the sudden cold.

Sheppard only had a few seconds before he lost his friend to hypothermia. He quickly slid the rest of the distance and stepped into Rodney's Jumper. He unclipped his harness and closed the rear hatch.

He shuffled over to Rodney who wasn't moving and undid the ropes securing the spare space suit.

Sheppard could see his friend's chest rising and falling. He was still alive.

Sheppard quickly, but carefully put Rodney inside the spare space suit.

A combination of the sudden warmth and air in the space suit woke Rodney up. He grimaced and looked at Sheppard.

"Come on buddy, let's get out of here."

The return trip to the other Jumper was slow, and Sheppard feared that they were not going to make it. All that he could see was the ocean getting larger every second as he pushed Rodney along in front of him on the rope.

He was so relieved when they both collapsed in a heap of tangled limbs in the back of the Jumper.

Sheppard spoke into his radio, "We're aboard Carson. Close the hatch and release the grapple."

"_Bloody hell Colonel, give a man a heart attack! You were gone such a long time I was contemplating leaving you."_

The hatch slammed shut behind and Sheppard heard a twang below as the grapple rope was cut.

Sheppard pulled off his helmet and gloves and removed Rodney's helmet.

Rodney was looking up at him in amusement and wonder, "Colonel, you're completely crazy. I think you'll need to be sectioned by Heightmeyer when we get back."

Sheppard smiled, "You're welcome Rodney."

* * *

Sheppard caught up with Rodney the next day in the mess hall. Rodney had been released from the infirmary and was hopping around on crutches with his legs swathed in bandages.

Rodney just looked at him with spark of admiration in his twinkling eyes.

"Hi Rodney. How're the legs."

"Oh they're fine John."

"Glad to hear it."

"Dr Weir is very disappointed in Kavanagh. Not only did we lose five of the mines, but we also lost another Jumper."

"Not to mention we nearly lost you."

Rodney grimaced and looked away, "I know, but I knew you'd get me out of that spinning death dive somehow."

"It was your idea."

"I know but you pulled it off."

"Dr Weir said I didn't have to go and finish the rest of the mine deployment. She forced Kavanagh to go up there with one of the marine pilots."

Sheppard laughed, "That way if he gets it wrong again, it'll be all his fault when he needs a rescue!"

Rodney smiled. He knew Sheppard would carry out such a dangerous feat of bravery for anyone, even Kavanagh.

* * *

EDIT - Thanks Silverthreads for pointing out a glaring OOC moment for Sheppard. My bad.

A/N - This story is partly inspired by Star Trek Voyager's orbital skydiving and an idea that struck me at the beginning of Season 5's 'Ghost in the Machine.'

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think ;)


	5. Hide and Seek

Disclaimer – the usual

Ooo – I felt like a teamfic for this one…

**Hide and Seek**

Sheppard was tapping keys on the Jumper control panel as he studied the HUD. He expertly ran through the pre-flight check as the craft sat in the bay.

Ronon looked bored, "Don't know why I have to go on this trip."

Teyla spoke, looking serene, "Every mission is of equal importance. There is always the possibility of danger."

McKay turned around from his seat next to Sheppard and raised his finger as he snapped, "I cannot impress on you how vital this mission is to our continuing fight against the Wraith!"

Sheppard paused for a moment and looked incredulous, "Really? We're trading for beans, McKay; a bean so similar to coffee that no one has been able to tell the difference."

"Precisely! The next time the Wraith come knocking on our door we won't last very long without an ample supply of the stuff."

Ronon laughed softly, but Teyla just shook her head as she looked between the two men with a long-suffering look.

Sheppard continued to examine the HUD, "Sheppard to control room. We're ready to go. See you in ten hours."

Weir's voice came back over the radio, _"Acknowledged. Good luck."_

McKay was curious as to why Dr Weir was wishing them luck. This would be the sixth time they visited the planet and there had been no trouble before. He had made it compulsory for regular trips there so that the coffee stocks never ran low. He knew it was not just him who needed coffee to survive. The planet also traded in several other foodstuffs so it had been easy to convince Dr Weir to clear his request.

McKay relaxed as the Jumper lowered down into the gate room and was propelled forward into the rippling blue. He looked forward to the hospitality, and great food, of the people who were fast becoming great friends of the team.

* * *

The Jumper came out of the gate and the team had a few seconds to marvel at the sight before them. It never ceased to astound them. They were in space and in front of them, their target planet shone brightly as the sun reflected off the oceans. Surrounding the planet there were several large moons. Each orb was turning imperceptibly and they were half wreathed in shadow, as night claimed the sides facing away from the sun.

The gate shut down behind them as energy blasts hit the rear of the Jumper, knocking it sideways for a moment.

"What the hell was that?!" McKay cried as the blasts sent them all reeling forward in their chairs.

Sheppard quickly brought up the HUD and spotted two Wraith darts, which were moving off from guard duty beside the gate to pursue them.

"Hold on!" He said as he barrel rolled the Jumper to avoid more energy blasts which sped by.

"The cloak isn't working. I can't switch to shields," Sheppard said as lines of concentration clouded his features.

He laterally yawed the Jumper dodging and weaving as more blasts came towards them.

Several more impacts struck the craft and something in the rear compartment exploded.

"McKay!" Sheppard said through gritted teeth.

"Working on it Colonel," he retorted, frantically tapping away on his tablet and the controls.

"Damn it," he muttered as more impacts hit them, "Oh, it might help if you tried shooting back Colonel."

Sheppard gave him a patronising answer, "You think I haven't already tried. The drone circuits are fried."

"I'll be the judge of that." McKay got up and hurried into the rear compartment and pulled down the control crystal tray from the ceiling.

Ronon turned to watch and Teyla gazed with a shocked expression at the scene before them. The planet and it's moons twirled in the view screen, as Sheppard rolled the Jumper once more and blue bolts of energy flew past becoming visible through the windscreen.

McKay swapped around a few of the crystals and sighed and sucked his fingers as he cut them on the sharp edge of a broken one. He temporarily used the environmental system crystal to replace the drone-firing conduit. He double checked the set-up against his tablet and felt confident his fix would work.

He turned to tell Sheppard to try and fire, when another bolt hit home. McKay fell over and slid across the floor in the rear compartment as the Jumper's inertial dampeners faltered under the strain.

Ignoring the sudden wetness on his arm. He pushed himself upright, "Fire the drones!"

The team all turned to look out of the windshield. Sheppard quickly shot two drones, which pulled in front of the Jumper for a moment and then spun around and headed towards the darts. He watched the HUD as one light blinked out, shortly followed by the other.

He had just let out a sigh of relief when Ronon spoke, "What's that?" He was pointing towards one the moons, which was now so close that it almost eclipsed the target planet.

"It can't be…" began McKay.

Sheppard expanded the HUD and confirmed all their fears.

There was a Wraith Hive ship orbiting the moon. It had been hidden from their sensors when they first arrived as it had been on the opposite side. They watched hundreds of tiny dots on the HUD as they approached the planet. Darts.

Six of the darts broke formation and headed straight for the Jumper.

Sheppard said in alarm, "McKay, we need that cloak!"

Teyla spoke evenly, "Could we not head back to the gate?"

McKay replied his voice high pitched in panic, "There's not enough time and we risk one of them following us back. Both the cloak and shield circuits are damaged beyond repair. It'll take longer than we have for me to fix them."

McKay had adrenaline coursing through his veins and did not notice the steady pattering noise as a sticky pool grew underneath him as he stood there. He was becoming very pale as he stared vacantly at the open crystal tray.

"Let's just blow them all up and get out of here," Ronon said as he fiddled with his gun holster.

McKay winced as he folded his arms, "In case you didn't notice, our flyboy had problems with just two darts. I somehow don't think we'll still be in one piece after facing down six."

"Gee, thanks Rodney."

Ronon snarled, "We can't just do nothing!"

McKay tried to snap his fingers, but they just slid together and there was no sound, "I think that's exactly what we need to do. Bring up a map of this system Colonel."

Sheppard huffed at being ordered around, but there was no time to argue.

An image of the hive ship and approaching darts shrunk as the planet with its moons replaced it.

McKay slid and slipped on the floor as he walked into the cockpit. He pushed his other leg under himself quickly to maintain his balance.

Teyla turned to look at him as he recovered. She took in his pale features and checked him over, "Rodney…"

McKay brushed her off and pointed a shaking finger at a nearby moon, "I want you to use the engines to burn for a few seconds towards this moon. I'll tell you when to stop. We will then be able to hide in the magnetic field close to the pole for as long as it takes to effect repairs."

McKay thumped down heavily in his seat and plugged his smeary laptop into the control panel. He absent-mindedly wiped at the screen, but he only made the smears worse. He let out a deep sigh and quickly programmed a course into the navigation system.

"Okay go."

Sheppard activated the engines and headed towards the moon Rodney had indicated.

After a minute, McKay stopped tapping on his laptop. Formulae ran across the screen as he calculated velocities and magnetic field properties.

He struggled to raise his suddenly very heavy and cold arm as put his hand up, "And…stop."

The Jumper continued to drift and was snagged by the pull from the moon's gravity field. The HUD showed that it was caught in a tight and high orbit above the pole.

The Wraith darts stopped as the craft disappeared from their sensors. They fanned out and began searching the area, still a long way from the Jumper.

McKay pressed a few more controls and the power levels in the Jumper reduced. He deactivated the engines and main systems.

"That should buy us some more time," he said weakly with his eyes closing.

Sheppard turned to smile at his friend; he had once again got them out of another stick, even if it was only for a little while.

Instead of smiling, Sheppard shot up from his seat his face twisted in concern, "Rodney… your arm!"

Teyla got up and carefully walked to the back of the Jumper, avoiding the pool of sticky blood on the deck. She grabbed the med kit and went over to McKay.

Ronon looked at them, "He fell when he was fixing the tray. Thought he was alright."

McKay grimaced as Sheppard grabbed some scissors and cut the sleeve off his shirt. Underneath there was a deep cut which was leaking blood. It had been sliced open by shards of broken crystals, which littered the floor in the rear compartment of the Jumper. The blood ran down to his fingers and dripped down onto the control panel and tablet.

Quickly and expertly Teyla placed a pressure bandage on the injury and pressed down hard.

McKay groaned and shuddered against the pain.

Ronon leant forward and put a reassuring hand on McKay's shoulder and squeezed lightly, "You'll be fine McKay."

"That's easy for you to say. You haven't just leaked all over the floor for the last five minutes without realising!"

Teyla shifted her grip and began wrapping the bandage tightly around McKay's arm, "None of us would be here now if it were not for you Rodney. We are most grateful."

Sheppard grabbed some painkillers from the med kit and handed them to McKay with a bottle of water. He took them and tilted his head back with his eyes closed.

"We still need you to fix the ship though." Sheppard smiled as Rodney opened his eyes and fixed him with a steady glare.

"Oh yes! Would you also like me to destroy the darts and make the hive ship go away?"

Ronon chuckled, "No McKay, just our ship… for now."

Sheppard said, "Although…" but stopped when Teyla elbowed him in the ribs.

Teyla helped McKay up onto unsteady legs. They walked into the back of the Jumper. Ronon followed them in case McKay needed to be caught if he fell. Sheppard stayed in the pilot's seat and looked out of the window at the planet as Wraith darts poured from the hive ship, "_All those people…"_ He thought of those who he had met recently. They had been so friendly, it was refreshing to find people who had no hidden agendas and openly welcomed trade with strangers.

He shook his head and brought up the HUD. McKay had left it powered up so that they could monitor the darts as they searched.

McKay rinsed his sticky hands with some water and proceeded to begin rearranging the crystals once more. He felt terribly dizzy and weak and was grateful for the reassuring presences of Teyla and Ronon nearby in case he stumbled.

He reinitialised the life support and studied the tray. There was no way he was going to be able to power up the cloak or shield, even if he had a week. So many of the crystals had been damaged beyond repair. He let out an annoyed sigh and turned to Sheppard.

"We need another option Colonel. There isn't enough power left to use the cloak. As it is, I had to turn off life support to get the drones to fire."

Ronon answered, "We could just make a dash for the gate and shoot anything that gets in our way."

"Hmm," McKay huffed, "I'm sure Major Lorne and his team have better things to do than spend days collecting and piecing debris back together in a macabre jigsaw puzzle; after we are inevitably blasted to teeny tiny pieces by the oh six or so Wraith darts looking for us."

Teyla let the insults wash over her as Ronon glared, "Could we not wait for the darts to lose interest?"

Sheppard quickly replied as McKay opened his mouth, "That could take days. They've just culled, so they don't need to feed again for a while. We can't stay here."

Ronon said to everyone, "So what are we going to do?"

Teyla, Sheppard and Ronon looked at McKay and his gaze shifted round to each of them in turn, "Okay. I'll keep working, but I still don't think it's repairable."

McKay kept studying his tablet and the crystal tray trying to figure out a way to get the cloak online. His hands shook whenever he lifted them to move another crystal. The bandage on his arm was already nearly soaked through and he had to avert his gaze whenever the bright red fabric caught his eye and a wave of nausea rolled over him. He thought of it as a personal insult that the ship was defying him.

He worked for several minutes until the dizziness and nausea overwhelmed him and he dropped his tablet. He pitched over to the side, but Ronon was still being attentive and caught him by the upper torso as he sunk down unconscious. Teyla helped Ronon as they gently lay Rodney down on the floor. Teyla had already removed the worst of the crystal shards from the deck to avoid further injury.

Sheppard turned in his chair at the commotion, "Oh crap!" He exclaimed as he saw McKay lying down and unresponsive.

Teyla put her hand on McKay's forehead, "He is very cold." Ronon grabbed a blanket and handed it to her. She laid it over Rodney and shared a worried look with Ronon.

Sheppard turned to look at the HUD again. The darts had split up into three groups, two darts apiece. One of the groups was coming dangerously close to their position. He would need to act soon. The other four darts were quite a long way away searching other moons. He could also see another dart standing guard by the gate.

Sheppard got up and walked back to join the others. He crouched down and felt for a pulse on McKay's neck. It was weak and rapid.

Under his touch, Rodney shifted and opened his eyes a little.

"Hey Rodney. We need to reactivate the drones so that we can get back to Atlantis."

Rodney spoke quietly, "You've decided to go for the usual military solution to everything then. Help me up and I'll do it."

"Ah, I don't think so. Just tell me what to do."

Sheppard stood up and Ronon held the tablet out so that McKay could see it. After a few minutes the task was completed. Ronon put the tablet down and laid a hand on Rodney's chest in thanks as he closed his eyes again.

Ronon and Teyla sat down on the floor in the rear of the Jumper, next to Rodney to keep him still and make sure his condition did not deteriorate.

Sheppard purposefully went back into the cockpit and checked the darts again. He inhaled and exhaled slowly and let adrenaline flow through him, sharpening his senses and reactions. He was lucky the Jumper sensed his thoughts otherwise he would never have been able to do this. For Rodney's sake he had to get them back to Atlantis as fast as possible.

Sheppard powered up all the systems and sped towards to two closest darts on the other side of the moon where they had taken refuge. They had just begun to alter their courses to intercept when they both exploded into expanding clouds of debris.

Sheppard saw that the other four darts where now speeding over towards them. They were a lot further away than the gate.

He pushed the Jumper at top speed towards the gate. As he got close he fired off another drone at the dart blocking the exit. It too became only metal fragments and flame, before it could even take one shot at them.

Sheppard leant across and dialled the address for Atlantis on the DHD. He breathed a sigh of relief as the gate erupted into life, like a pond of blue water.

"Sheppard to control room. We're coming in hot. Have a med team standing by in the Jumper bay."

* * *

The team sat in the mess hall a few days later. They were all in silent contemplation of their previous mission that had gone so sideways.

Rodney had to have a blood transfusion and stitches when they returned. He now had his heavily bandaged arm in a sling. He was gazing at the floor and looking thoroughly miserable.

Sheppard patted his shoulder, "Come on Rodney. It's not all that bad. We got away didn't we?"

He looked up at Sheppard, "I know, but all those people…"

Teyla looked solemn, "We are all sad Rodney, but this is why we must continue to fight the Wraith."

Ronon looked between them, "Major Lorne's team went back to the planet later. He told us that there are still some people left who would be happy to continue trading with us."

Rodney brightened a little at this piece of news. He caught himself before he spoke again; he knew they still had plenty of coffee and there were always other more fortunate, but difficult, people to trade with.

Sheppard could see his team flagging, so he smiled broadly and announced, "Why don't we all go and watch a couple of movies. I've still got some popcorn from the last time the Daedalus swung by."

Teyla put her hand on Rodney's as she got up. She smiled gently down at him. He shook his head out of his reverie and joined them as they walked out of the mess hall.

* * *

A/N – Sorry, that was a little bit dark at the end.

I have a few ideas circling around in my head for more Mayhem stories. Any ideas for Jumper based antics you would like me to contrive into another chapter would be gratefully appreciated via message or review. Thanks!


	6. Jumper Thirteen

Disclaimer – See previous

I know Halloween is still quite a way off, oh well. I felt like doing something a little different this time…

Also I just had to up the rating to T. Hope you don't mind :)

**Jumper Thirteen**

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard had really outdone himself with the parking arrangements this time.

The jumper lay inverted and half buried in a deep gouge it had ploughed through the soil. The trees, where he had decided to stop off, were covered in broken twigs and smashed branches where he had made a new path through the canopy.

It was the dead of night and the only sounds were coming from a small fire close to the stricken craft and the quiet murmurings of two figures sat hunched around it.

"Ow!" A harsh cry came out and broke the oppressive silence like a gunshot. The surrounding trees muffled the sound a little, but not to Sheppard's ears.

"Quiet McKay," he whispered as he pressed the bandage against his team mate's head.

Sheppard had walked out of the wreck relatively unscathed. He could feel large and numb bruises on one of his thighs and down his side. He had been thrown forwards into the control panel as the craft went down.

McKay, as usual, had been standing in the back of the doomed jumper. He fiddled in vain with the control crystals, even as the ship plunged groundwards at an alarming rate. Right until the end he stood there, even when the inertial dampeners lost power and he was thrown to the deck. He grimaced and pushed himself up to keep working.

Only when the ship actually hit the ground did he stop. His head connected with a bulkhead and he did not get up again until Sheppard began prodding at him.

Now they both sat and waited for rescue in the pitch-black woods.

"I'd be quiet if you stopped sticking your hand in my head," McKay said indignantly as he shivered and tried to move away from Sheppard's grip.

Sheppard responded by curling his other hand around McKay's neck to keep him from wriggling free. He needed to stop the bleeding from the nasty head injury. He could see McKay shaking, whether through cold or pain, Sheppard was not sure. He was already wrapped up in one of the emergency blankets.

Sheppard took the bandage away and shone a torch at the bloody and gory mess on the side of McKay's head. His hair was messy and matted. Sheppard grimaced a little at the sight, but was pleased to see that the bleeding had slowed down.

He carefully put a clean bandage on the wound, ignoring McKay's little squeak, he wrapped it around his whole head to keep it in place.

Sheppard had already given McKay some painkillers, but he could see his friend's eyes drooping in tiredness.

"Hey hey hey, stay with us Rodney," Sheppard shook McKay's shoulder a little and the scientist's eyes opened.

"Oh! That hurts Colonel," he sucked in a breath through his teeth, "And my brain cells are quite important to me. First you're trying to scoop my brain out with your bare hands and now you're shaking it out of my head."

"Sorry Rodney, but you have to stay awake. We're already overdue so there should be a rescue party searching for us by now."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Sheppard taking stock of his own injuries now that Rodney was dealt with. He gently pressed at his side, he winced but nothing seemed to be broken and the pain had now diminished into a steady throb. He checked his thigh too. He was relieved to find that there was no blood leaking from him anywhere externally, although that made it harder to bear, as there was nothing he could do, nowhere to wrap a bandage.

Rodney was watching him and saw him wince. He said slowly, his words had the faint trace of a slur, "You alright John?"

Sheppard stopped and looked at his friend's pale face, "Fine. Don't worry about me, just concentrate on keeping awake."

Rodney brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his hands around them, "I don't think I can. I'm losing the battle. I just feel so tired."

At this he closed his eyes again and an expression of sudden calm spread across his face.

Sheppard quickly moved over and rather than shaking him, he reached under the blanket and grabbed Rodney's hand. He spread out Rodney's thumb and forefinger and pinched the soft skin between them as hard as he could.

"Ow!" Rodney's eyes flew open at the sudden attack and he glared at Sheppard, still holding his hand.

"What are you doing? First my brain and now my hand."

Sheppard glared right back, "You have to stay awake." He carefully let go of Rodney's hand and sat back down.

Sheppard spoke again, "Hey, I've got an idea."

Rodney sighed, "Here we go…"

Sheppard ignored him and continued, "Have you heard the story of Jumper Thirteen?"

Rodney snorted, "Oh no Colonel, you know I can't stand ghost stories."

"But this isn't a story. It actually happened," Sheppard said earnestly. "Anyway, neither of us are going anywhere anytime soon so what the hell."

Rodney just frowned a little and shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

Sheppard shone a torch under his face, illuminating his features in stark contrasts of light and shadow.

Rodney chuckled, "That's a bit of a cliché Colonel, and if you're trying to scare me to keep me awake; good luck."

Sheppard ignored him and began.

"It was a dark, dark night…"

Rodney rolled his eyes and muttered, "Oh please."

Unfazed, Sheppard continued, "…and a jumper glided silently through the dead of space…"

* * *

"What are we looking for Doc?" Major Matthews said from the pilot seat to Dr Haalstrom behind him.

The Dutch scientist looked up from his workstation where he was studying some readings on his laptop. "We detected faint energy reading. We look for it again."

As Dr Haalstrom turned back to work, the Major shared an exasperated look with his fellow marine, Corporal Stevens, in the co-pilot's chair. _Better than McKay hopefully._

* * *

"Hey, that's unfair!" Said McKay indignantly.

Sheppard lowered the torch for a moment, he smiled, "Rodney, I'm just telling you what happened."

"Like you know what they'd be thinking!"

"Well, maybe they were. Perhaps some of your…charm has rubbed off onto your colleagues."

McKay frowned for a moment and sighed. He put a hand up against his aching head, grimaced and took it away. There was some blood in the palm where the bandage was soaked through.

Sheppard watched in concern and then looked at the fire, "Okay, I'll continue…"

* * *

The marines stared out of the window in boredom. The sky in front of them was a blanket of darkness with millions of tiny white lights dotted across as far as they could see. No nebulae, no planets and the stargate was an hour's journey behind them.

After a few minutes, the scientist spoke again, "We are out here to get data to take back for analysis; so far nothing. Adjust your heading to these co-ordinates."

The location flashed up on the HUD as Dr Haalstrom entered them into the Jumper's navigation system.

Major Matthews rolled his eyes but obeyed, angling the Jumper's nose towards the desired destination. He watched as the white dots through the windshield shifted and then appeared to be the same once they had stopped moving.

* * *

Rodney snorted, "Sheppard, they may be jarhead marines, but every part of the sky looks different, even to the…uneducated mind."

"Come on McKay! Stop interrupting and let me continue."

Rodney smiled, looking superior and then gestured with his hand in a sweeping motion for Sheppard to go on.

* * *

Corporal Stevens folded his arms across his chest and turned to watch Dr Haalstrom working.

The scientist was typing on his laptop and frowning at the screen. Corporal Stevens could not understand anything being displayed, but he could see from Dr Haalstrom's expression and the sudden sigh that he made; he was not having a lot of luck.

They flew onwards into the void for two more hours. The marines became more restless and the scientist more frustrated as each minute ticked by.

Suddenly a shout of triumph erupted from the science station. Both marines instinctively reached for their guns, before their brains kicked into gear.

They turned to Dr Haalstrom who was looking out of the window.

"What is it Doc?" Corporal Stevens asked.

"Picking up energy reading. At this location."

Once more the Major turned the Jumper towards to co-ordinates.

Corporal Stevens watched as the stars lazily rolled across in front of the window. He was not sure whether his boredom was getting to him, but some of the stars seemed to be growing larger. He was not a scientist, so could not know if they were supposed to do that. Something did not feel right.

As they approached the co-ordinates, the lights continued to grow and they appeared to be shivering against the void. Corporal Stevens stole a glance at Major Matthews, who sensed him looking and turned his head.

The Major was shocked at what he saw passing across the young man's face. It glistened with sweat and his eyes were filled with fear. Suddenly Corporal Stevens' eyes unfocused from the Major and seemed to be tracking something as it came through the viewing port and went into the rear compartment. Corporal Stevens jumped up from his seat and ran into the back of the Jumper, unholstering his sidearm as he went. His eyes were wide and he looked quite mad.

He started speaking in panic, his voice rising and falling all the time, "Oh no, get away from me. Major! Can't you see them? They're all around us."

Dr Haalstrom was warily watching Corporal Stevens and his face remained impassive, even as Corporal Stevens swung his gun upwards and pointed it at Haalstrom's chest.

"Oh… my… god." Stevens panted and his hand shook as he held out the gun. His other hand reached up and began savagely scratching at his face, "They're all over me and there's one on you. Keep still and I'll get rid of it!"

The Major stood watching the scene before him. He tried to remain calm as he watched his fellow marine unravelling into insanity in front of him. He needed to get his sidearm out too and find a way to neutralize the Corporal before he hurt himself and Haalstrom.

Corporal Stevens had large bloody cuts down his face as he tore fingernails through his own flesh.

The Major was not fast enough though. Stevens screamed in rage and panic and squeezed the trigger of his gun. The shot rang out loudly in the small vessel and tore a hole through Haalstrom's chest. The scientist slumped forward as Major Matthews shot Stevens in the arm, ran over and disarmed him.

Stevens lay on the floor holding his arm as he shook and writhed on the deck, his eyes rolling crazily around in his head.

Major Matthews quickly ran over to Dr Haalstrom to check the damage. The Doctor was already dead.

The Major sat down in the pilot's chair and turned the Jumper back towards the gate at full speed and set it on autopilot to continue on that course until they were close to the gate. They were hours away, so he would need to restrain the Corporal.

Just as Major Matthews finished entering the commands he heard the sound of ragged breathing, muttering and sickening squelchy footsteps in the rear compartment.

Corporal Stevens had got up from the floor and was heading towards a control panel.

Major Matthews found that he had no time to act as Stevens popped open the panel and let rip a torrent of blood boiling, hysterical laughter as he pulled the emergency hatch opening lever.

The last thing the Major was aware of was the sudden inescapable pull of the cold void as he watched Corporal Stevens disappearing out of the rear of the Jumper. As he went a smile spread across his face and he opened his arms widely to the distant and twinkling stars billions of miles away. Haalstrom's body was pulled out next. The Major tried to keep hold of the chair, but soon the Jumper was airless and agony tore through him as he too was thrown out the back of the Jumper.

The Jumper sensing that something was not right, shut the rear hatch and continued on its autopilot course back to the gate; silent and empty.

* * *

McKay suddenly heard some bushes rustling nearby. He let out a shriek in fright and panic.

Sheppard stopped speaking and raised his P90 in the direction of the noise.

He was relieved when he saw the familiar faces of Teyla, Ronon and Major Lorne.

Lorne lowered his gun and nodded to each of them, "Colonel, Doctor. We landed in a clearing a mile away from here."

Teyla said, "When we could not get through to you on the radio, we decided to continue on foot."

Lorne moved over and helped McKay up, slinging Rodney's arm over his shoulders. Teyla pulled Sheppard to his feet. He was able to walk unaided. Ronon moved over to the other side to cover the team as they walked away from the crash site.

After several minutes of staggering, Lorne turned to McKay, who was very close and breathing heavily as Lorne supported him.

"You know all that we found was an empty Jumper and blank sensor logs, no bodies. We searched the area for hours to try and find out what happened. We had to piece it together ourselves in the end."

McKay stopped for a moment and locked eyes with Lorne, "Really? You know I'm not sure if I've heard of this Haalstrom guy, but then again, so many of my scientists have been killed out here…"

He suddenly looked away, his face twisted into an expression of sadness mingled with loss and fear.

Lorne shifted his arm around McKay's ribs and pulled Rodney's other hand down more securely over his shoulder.

They continued on in silence for a few more minutes. Lorne spoke once more, quietly and slowly, "By the way, that Jumper you were in; it's the same one. There's just been something wrong about it ever since the incident."

McKay tried unsuccessfully to repress a shudder that ran through him. Lorne smiled and laughed softly.

"Come on Dr McKay! I'm just messing with you. It's only a story."

But Rodney was no longer sure.

As they entered the clearing and drew close to the rescue Jumper, Rodney looked up into the clear sky, at the countless alien stars above him. He had never felt so alone and so far from home. Was there actually anything out there? Or did the Corporal just go stir crazy from staring into nothingness for one too many hours?

Some people have said that looking at the stars out in space like that can destroy a man. It makes you feel so small and insignificant. A speck of existence against an incomprehensibly large and lifeless vacuum, stretching out for eternity in space and time. Ever ploughing onwards without a thought for whole civilisations, planets and stars as they rise out of nothing, until time turns them back into dust in the void from whence they came.

* * *

A/N - Hmm, that went a bit weird at the end! Oopsy…

Thanks for reading! Reviews are most appreciated. x Varda x


	7. Flying Against the Wind

Disclaimer – The usual

Thanks for your lovely reviews! I try my best…

Bit of a team whumper this time. Obviously focus is still on Rodney, but only because he complains so much…

**Flying Against the Wind**

The Puddle Jumper came through the Stargate and flew out into space.

"Where's the planet McKay?" Sheppard asked.

Tapping at his tablet he replied, "Well it's unusual for the Ancients not to have the gate orbiting the planet where they have their outpost. Maybe it was knocked out of orbit or drifted away."

Sheppard brought up the HUD and expanded the search field. The planet was behind them. He turned the Jumper around and flew back past the gate and towards the tiny brown orb in the distance.

"It'll take about an hour to get there from here," McKay said as he laid the tablet down on the control panel.

Sheppard smiled, "Anyone want to play twenty questions."

Ronon asked, "What's that?"

"In case you haven't noticed, there's still a lot of work to be done." McKay snapped.

"Like what?" Ronon asked.

"Sensor sweeps of the planet as we approach, visual analysis… oh yes, that's all me isn't it?"

Teyla said, "I believe Dr McKay would like us to be quiet while he works."

"Got it in one."

Ronon put his hands on his head and swivelled in his chair out of boredom.

As they got closer, Sheppard could make out the planet more easily. It was brown and yellow with large patches of each shade fading into each other. Across the southern hemisphere there was a large dust cloud swirling dangerously.

"Hey, Rodney. Looks a bit like Tatooine."

"Yes, Colonel. Let's just hope we don't run into any Banthas."

Teyla and Ronon shared a look and both shrugged.

McKay looked up from his tablet where he was analysing the sensor data, "Hmm, there's very little humidity in the atmosphere. The air is breathable, but we'd better not spend too long there."

"What is that cloud?" Teyla asked as she too had noticed it on the planet's surface.

McKay waved his hand about in annoyance, "It's a sandstorm. We don't need to worry about it though. It's thousands of miles across and tracking along the surface at hundreds of miles an hour. However, the location in the database puts the Ancient outpost at this location in the northern hemisphere."

The HUD flashed up and McKay pointed to a region of dark brown sand close to the north pole.

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, "Are you sure Rodney? We don't want to get caught up in that."

"Fairly sure. The path of the storm, even as we've been approaching has been erratic. If you land and we take a quick look around, we'll probably be alright."

"Okay."

McKay raised his eyebrows, "Hmm, that's interesting. It seems that the dust cloud extends high into the upper atmosphere. Probably why the Ancients decided to keep the gate as far away as they did."

Teyla asked, "Are you detecting any life signs?"

Ronon spoke, "You're kidding right? Nothing could survive that."

"No, I'm not really detecting anything from the surface. There may be something in the soil reflecting the readings. I suggest we land at the co-ordinates and take a look."

* * *

The Puddle Jumper broke through the upper atmosphere and quickly descended towards the barren wasteland below.

McKay looked up from his tablet through the windshield, "Okay, according to the Ancient database, the complex should be at these co-ordinates."

Sheppard adjusted their heading.

The drive pods retracted as the Sheppard landed the Jumper in the middle of a flat plain stretching out in every direction to the horizon. The sand was dark and almost clay coloured. Littered across the landscape there were several boulders and stones.

Once Sheppard deactivated the engines he turned around, "McKay?"

"According to these readings it's 35 degrees outside. Let's not stay out there for too long."

"Agreed."

The team were almost knocked off their feet by the sudden heat which hit them when the rear hatch opened. It was an oppressive dry heat and had McKay reaching for his water bottle as soon as they stepped out into the burning bright glow of the twin suns.

Sheppard saw what he was doing and patted his hand away from the bottle, "Save it Rodney. We just got here."

McKay looked angry, but did as the Colonel said, tucking the bottle into his rucksack.

Sheppard sealed and cloaked the Jumper. Ronon was crouching down and filtering a handful of sand through his fingers. He rolled his other hand over the palm and separated the grains. Some of them shone as the sunlight caught them.

McKay went over to him and crouched down next to him. He grabbed the scanner and put it down close to the ground. He sighed as the scanner bleeped and flashed red, as it was unable to function. He did as Ronon had done and picked up some of the grains to examine them.

Teyla walked over and looked down at them, "What is it Dr McKay?"

"It's a metallic compound. It has been changed into a fine powder and mixed in with the sand. It's probably why the sensors don't work properly close to the surface. Without the scanner I'm unable to determine the properties of the metal." He grabbed a plastic bag from his pack and dropped a handful of the sand inside.

McKay straightened up, sealed the bag and slipped it inside his rucksack. "Okay the outpost is over here."

He began walking towards a large collection of rocks and boulders a short distance away. He huffed and held a hand up to try and shield his face against the stifling and choking heat from the suns. He was unable to get any shade as no matter where he put his hand, one of the suns was always shining into his face.

Sheppard walked alongside McKay as he tutted and sighed at the useless scanner. Rodney wiped his hand across his forehead in the heat.

"Oh great," he said sarcastically, "I dread to think what the suns are doing to my skin and now I've just rubbed a load of alien metal sand all over my face."

He wiped his hands against his trousers and winced. His forehead and hands were smarting slightly as if they had been burned. He just dismissed it as sunburn or a slight skin scraping as though he had used sandpaper on his hands and face.

As they approached the rocks, the team could make out a small opening in the side of one of the larger boulders. Sheppard went in first and switched on his P90 light. Everyone else followed him inside.

They walked into an Ancient lab, similar to the ones on Atlantis. There were massive drifts of sand against all the walls as nothing had been blocking the entrance.

McKay walked over to one of the control panels and plugged his tablet in.

"There's very little power. However, I should be able to get some data."

Sheppard went and stood with Ronon and Teyla who remained in the doorway watching outside.

Ronon spoke quietly to Sheppard, "The wind's picking up. Might be nothing, we'll keep watch."

Sheppard nodded and walked back to McKay. Sheppard noticed his friend's forehead was red and angry, like severe sunburn, and he was typing more slowly than usual, like it was hurting him.

"Any luck Rodney?"

"Yes, it seems the Ancients were researching the sandstorm and filtering out the metal in the soil for possible uses."

He grimaced and looked down at his legs where he had rubbed his hands earlier. He then looked back up at the tablet.

"Uh oh, it seems that the Ancients were having trouble using the metal for anything useful, as it has slightly acidic properties. That would explain why my hands and face hurt so much. My legs just started too."

Sheppard's eyes opened in alarm, "Ronon, Teyla," he called across the room.

They came over and stood in a group, "Don't touch the sand, it's corrosive."

Ronon looked at his hands, they were red and sore. "I wondered why that was happening."

"Grab your water and wash them off."

Teyla and Sheppard helped Ronon and Rodney to wash the affected skin, being careful not to let any of the water run from Rodney's forehead into his eyes. They then used thin gauze to wrap up the damaged areas.

When they'd finished, Teyla went and stood back by the door and Sheppard asked Rodney, "I think we should leave. Have you finished downloading all the data?"

McKay gingerly pressed a few keys and then unplugged his laptop, "Yes and I agree. My hands, face and legs still hurt like hell, despite the water."

Sheppard helped Rodney pack his tablet away in the rucksack and they walked over to the door.

Teyla gave them a concerned look. "I believe it may be better for us to stay in here for a while."

They all looked out of the lab across the desert. The wind had picked up even more and some of the sand was being lifted from the ground and buffeted about.

Sheppard nodded and turned to look around the room, "Is there any way to get the doors closed? I don't think we'll be sheltered in here, as it seems the sand is able to get inside."

McKay frowned and winced as the damaged skin on his forehead wrinkled, "I don't think there's a door there to be closed Colonel. Either it was removed by the Ancients, otherwise, over ten thousand years of being battered by the corrosive sand has taken its toll."

Sheppard rounded on him, "Didn't you say we would be safe from the storm."

McKay raised his chin, "I said we would _probably_ be alright. The course of the storm is obviously faster and more unpredictable than I anticipated."

As he spoke some of the sand wafted through the opening into them. They quickly scattered and went back into the lab before it was able to bite into their skin too deeply.

"Okay," Sheppard said, "We need to get back to the Jumper as quickly as possible. The wind is fairly slow at the moment, but we won't stand a chance if we wait for too long. Wrap up as best as you can and cover your mouths, eyes and noses. Don't breathe too deeply."

They all rolled field bandages around their heads and uncovered hands, overlapping at the sleeves so that no sand could travel up onto their arms. Ronon was going to have the worst time, as he had no sleeves on his shirt. Although his burnt hands did not seem to be visibly bothering him, unlike McKay's, Sheppard knew better though.

Sheppard cut strips from the front of his jacket under his tac vest and wrapped them around Ronon's bare arms.

When they were ready Sheppard turned around to examine everyone. He could not help laughing a little at the sight. They all looked like disaster victims or horror movie rejects.

McKay's muffled voice came from underneath the bandages, "Hey, you look like The Invisible Man!"

Teyla spoke, "I do not think we are invisible Rodney."

"You know, when he tries to fit back into society by wrapping his invisible head up so that people can see him."

Sheppard drawled, "Okay…"

Ronon interrupted, "You'll have to show us that one when we get back. But I'd rather just get out of here."

"Actually it's a book," said McKay, as they walked towards the exit from the lab.

* * *

The team were all buffeted and battered by the terrible wind sheer as soon as they stepped out into the storm. Despite the coverings, sand and painful metal pieces worked their way underneath and onto their skin.

The hazy glow from the twin suns was amost blocked out by the dust cloud surrounding them.

Ronon led the way back to the Jumper. Sheppard was confident his sense of direction and tracking skills would find a way through even in the low visibility.

McKay could hardly see through the bandage over his eyes. He could vaguely make out the shadowy figure of Teyla in front of him as she struggled and staggered against the howling sand storm. All that he could hear was the constant sound of sand hitting against sand and against him in a swishing noise. The wind kept changing direction causing him to stumble. The moment he leant one way, the wind would stop from that direction and try to keep shoving him in the direction he was leaning. His hands and face still stung from earlier and he could feel the sand filling his pockets and working its way under his clothes. He did not imagine the others were fairing any better and especially not Ronon, who had always refused to wear the Atlantis gear.

McKay swore that it felt like the wind speed was continuing to increase the longer they stayed out in it. He reasoned that it probably was, as they were still close to the edge of the storm and it would intensify as it passed over them.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, Ronon banged on the rear hatch of the Jumper and called back to them.

Sheppard hastily opened the door and they all went inside.

After they were safely sealed in the rear compartment they all stood shaking and brushing themselves off, desperately trying to get rid of all the horrid sand and metal.

McKay spoke as he unwrapped the bandage around his head, "I swear, I'm never going to complain about getting sand in my shoes on Earth again after this place." He winced and gasped as he pulled the bandage away from his face. He looked at Sheppard who was also trying to suppress a grimace as he took his own bandages off. McKay saw that the corroding sand had burnt Sheppard's face. It was dark red, like severe sunburn, and there were raw patches. McKay did not imagine he looked any better.

Teyla looked around at her team mates in shock and then held up her hands in front of her face, they were red raw like her face.

Sheppard looked at them each in turn, taking in their gory appearances, "I want everyone to strip, wash off and put on fresh clothes. Just in case this sand is eating through our clothes."

McKay nodded and said, "It managed to eat through my clothes very quickly where I cleaned off my hands."

* * *

Ten minutes later they all sat in the cockpit in clean jumpsuits they had found in the emergency kit in the storage racks in the rear compartment of the Jumper.

McKay winced and cringed every time he tapped the screen on his tablet. Blood was seeping through the bandages around his hands from earlier. It had been over an hour since he had first touched the sand. Ronon just sat with his injured hands held up in front of him so that he could see them to constantly remind himself not to move or use them.

Sheppard looked out into the storm. The wind was howling at a tremendous speed. He thought he could feel the Jumper shifting slightly against the onslaught. For everyone's sakes he knew he would have to fly them out of it. The water had not been enough to neutralize whatever metallic compound was in the sand. Their horrific burns only deepened and reddened in colour as the precious minutes ticked by.

McKay finished tapping and put the tablet down on the control panel. He raised his hands up like Ronon and sighed as they shook through pain.

"We have to get out of this," he said.

Sheppard asked, "What about the sensors? They don't work at all in this. As the sand is now all around us and not just on the ground they won't function."

"I know that Colonel, but I've found something very serious, even more serious than the nagging feeling I have all over my skin that the metal is continuing to dig into me."

"What is wrong Rodney?" Asked Teyla.

"It wasn't too bad at first, we were even able to walk out in it to start with. As the speed of the sandstorm has picked up it has been blasting corrosive sand at the Jumper from all directions. I believe it's eating its way through the hull."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, as McKay continued, "I think we have less than an hour before we suffer irreversible hull damage from the sand. When that happens we'll be stuck here and it probably won't be much longer until the hull breaches. Then we'll all be dissolved and killed by the sand instantly at this velocity."

"So cheerful all the time," said Sheppard sarcastically.

"Oh har har!" McKay said with a scowl, "It's no wonder the Ancients abandoned this place. What with the skin cancer suns, heat, lack of water and now to top it all, we have corrosive killer sand storms. Great!"

Ronon asked, "Do you think you'll be able to fly us out of this?"

"I don't think we have a choice. Rodney's right, I can feel the sand still burning through my skin too. We need to get back to Atlantis to get cleaned up."

McKay winced as he carefully picked up his tablet again and read through some data. "With the sensors offline and the visibility virtually zero outside it's going to be very difficult to fly in this. On top of that, the wind is probably gusting at over a hundred miles an hour now."

Sheppard frowned, "Thanks for the good news bulletin Rodney. I know you're not going to like it, but I do have an idea about how to get us off this version of hell on Tatooine."

McKay's eyes widened as Sheppard's solution flashed through his mind too, "Oh no Colonel! That's not a good idea. I like all my bones intact thank you very much."

Teyla looked between the two men in confusion and concern, "What are you talking about? What do you have in mind?"

Sheppard answered, "With no sensors and no visibility, I need to dial back the inertial dampeners and artificial gravity. I'll have to _feel_ the flight to know which way we are facing. Luckily there are no mountains or hills for miles around."

Ronon still had his hands raised, "Better than dissolving I suppose."

Rodney's voice broke in panic as he spoke rapidly, "Oh yes, which would you rather? On the one hand we have: a broken neck, probably right at the end after every other bone is already snapped, or we have a skin dissolving acid death. Not sure which I'd choose."

Ronon growled, "If you don't shut up McKay, it'll definitely be the first option, before we even take off."

"Quiet, both of you," Sheppard scowled but did not turn around to look at either of them. "Ok everyone hold on tight I'm dialling back the gravity and dampeners now."

The change was sudden and violent. The Jumper began rocking and shaking against he storm. Everyone inside was thrown about in their seats as the wind directions kept changing and shunting the Jumper along the ground.

McKay cried out as he instinctively grabbed hold of his seat with his damaged hands to keep from falling off. Ronon held his seat too, but just breathed heavily and made no other sounds.

Sheppard concentrated with all his might. Thinking nothing but, "_Up up up,"_ all the time. The plan did not work as well as he had hoped. With the winds constantly shifting he had no idea exactly where they were in relation to the ground. He could not feel the gravity on the planet as the centrifugal forces could make it feel like every direction was down if they were in a rapid spin.

Rodney had his eyes closed and was panting through nausea and pain, "This isn't working John."

"I know!" Sheppard said back. He did not take his hands off the controls nor his eyes off the windscreen, even as he swayed and jolted in his chair in time with the Jumper's protest against the punishment of the storm.

McKay's hands were weakening against the agony of holding his chair. He could feel his arms shaking in exertion. After a few more seconds he could no longer take it and let go. The moment he released his grip the Jumper shunted violently sideways to the left in the wind sheer and McKay was thrown out of his seat into the wall. He yelped as all the breath was knocked out of him when his shoulder and side connected with the wall. He collapsed down onto the floor and closed his eyes in pain.

Teyla watched in horror and leant forward to speak to Sheppard, "Colonel, it is not working. Rodney flew into the wall and has been hurt. Would it not be better to have the dampeners and gravity online so that at least we do not have to get injured, even if we are unable to find our path through this storm."

Sheppard had heard McKay cry out, but he was deep in concentration and did not realise his friend had been injured. Teyla was right, at the moment it was completely hopeless. He reinitialised the gravity and dampeners at full power.

Sweet relief washed over all the occupants and Ronon let go of his chair with a grunt. He leant forward and tapped Rodney gently on his undamaged shoulder with an elbow, "You alright McKay?"

Rodney opened his eyes and looked up from his position seated on the floor, "Not really! 'Colonel Dice Shaker' over there's really having a field day rattling us around in here. I feel really sick and my shoulder hurts."

"Looks alright to me," Ronon said and smiled at Rodney.

Rodney just gave him his best scowl and closed his eyes again.

A sudden idea struck Teyla, "This planet has twin suns has it not? Perhaps we could find a way to follow the sunlight. That would show us the path out of the atmosphere."

"Good call Teyla."

Sheppard turned the Jumper around, searching for the hazy sunlight through the sand particles. He had not seen it before while they had been airborne, which is why the idea had not already come to him. Luckily after a minute he found a telltale brighter patch through the sand, they must have gained some altitude, or perhaps the storm was abating. He angled the Jumper towards the light and adjusted the course frequently as the nose twitched away from the destination.

Sheppard nearly lost the sun out of the windscreen all together several times. After a few tense and nerve-wracking minutes the sand finally began to visibly thin out. The sky darkened as they headed through the upper atmosphere and out into space.

When they were safely clear of the planet, Sheppard set the Jumper on autopilot to get back to the gate as quickly as possible. He got up from his seat and went over to crouch next to McKay.

"How're you holding up Rodney?"

The man looked a mess, worse than Teyla and Ronon, as the acid metal had been wiped across his forehead for much longer than everyone else. The gauze was soaked through and threatening to start leaking blood down his face.

When Sheppard got no response he reached down and squeezed Rodney's undamaged shoulder reassuringly.

Rodney's eyes shot open at the touch and looked up at Sheppard. He said sleepily, "Did we make it through?"

"Yes, we're headed back to Atlantis now. How's the shoulder?"

"Not sure, it's gone a bit numb. My face _really_ hurts… god I hope the acid doesn't eat its way through into my brain. I _need_ my brain!"

"Looks ok to me," Sheppard lied, "As soon as we're back, I'm sure Carson'll fix us up with a nice bath."

Rodney tilted his head back and lost consciousness again. Sheppard decided not to move him just in case anything was broken and he did not seem to be having any trouble breathing. Sheppard went and sat back in his seat, bringing up the HUD to watch as the gate drew nearer and nearer.

* * *

Teyla, Sheppard and Ronon sat around Rodney's bed in the infirmary a day after they got back. Rodney had needed extra treatment as the acid metal had damaged his face so badly.

Sheppard had been right. Dr Beckett used the sample of sand Rodney had collected to create a neutralising compound. He had made them all take a very long soak in the stuff to get rid of the lingering effects of the sand.

Rodney's shoulder had a livid bruise across it and down his upper arm. Carson had been surprised that there was nothing broken underneath as the bruise had been so widespread and severe. Sheppard heard him mutter, "Lucky bugger," under his breath as he watched McKay being scanned.

Rodney opened his eyes and looked at his team. He noted they all had bandages across their faces and wrapped around their hands.

"Yep, definitely The Invisible Man," he muttered and smiled, but quickly stopped when his face throbbed.

Sheppard said, "You know they made it into a movie too."

Ronon brightened up at this, "That would be better than reading a book."

Rodney rolled his eyes, "Oh please, the book's so much better than the movie."

Sheppard said, "That may be the case, but we can all watch the movie together. I might put the request in to the Daedalus next time it comes by."

Rodney closed his eyes, "At the moment I don't really feel like watching it. I may be more in the mood once the burns have healed."

Teyla smiled softly, "Do not worry Rodney. Carson has assured us that the damage will not be permanent and there should be no physical scarring."

Rodney mumbled as he fell asleep again, "That's good. After the smell of that liquid Carson concocted for us I think I'll have a _mental_ scar for the rest of my life whenever my nose remembers it."

Ronon chuckled and patted Rodney's leg as they all got up to leave.

* * *

A/N – Took a while for the jumping to get going in this one…had to build up the danger though…

Thanks for reading and as always I love reviews! x Varda x


	8. Jumper Jacked

Disclaimer – The usual

Warning - This one's quite violent. I blame the computer games myself. Sorry Rodney – the more heroic you are, the more you'll bleed…

Set after 'Coup D'Etat.' Spoiler for 'The Intruder.'

**Jumper-Jacked**

Sheppard and McKay sat on cushions on the floor of a small tent. McKay had muttered something about the tent smelling like camels as soon as they stepped inside. Sheppard had to admit, it was stuffy and unpleasant, but their hosts had been so friendly and welcoming he thought it would be rude not to take them up on their lunch offer.

Sheppard clipped his P90 to the front of his vest so that he could lean forward to sample some of the food plates in front of them. He wished Teyla were there, she was so much better at negotiating trades than him. He would be lucky if Rodney managed not to offend their hosts into chasing them away with spears and knives before the end of lunch.

They had flown to the settlement in a Jumper as it was situated on the other side of the planet from the stargate. Sheppard was unsure whether the people were even aware of the existence of the gate at all. Sheppard landed the Jumper in a field a short distance away from the village. He tried not to scare any of the locals, but some of them still saw the craft and fled to hide in their tents.

Their host, Lavaan, was seated opposite them on the other side of the food spread. He spoke, "That magical sky device you flew in on, I am intrigued, how does it work?"

McKay snarled, "It's complicated. I doubt whether you'd understand."

Sheppard rolled his eyes, and smiled at Lavaan, "Be nice Rodney. We're trying to make friends."

Lavaan watched Sheppard and McKay with a bemused expression, "Is it just you or can anyone fly it?"

McKay answered before Sheppard could stop him, "I can fly it too, but you have to have a special gene to do so."

Lavaan shared a look with a guard standing by the tent opening behind them. Sheppard thought he saw something passing between them, though he could not put his finger on what it was.

Sheppard did not like the way the conversation was going, "So, we've come here to trade, let's see if we can come to some kind of arrangement."

Lavaan lifted up a bowl of dark red liquid and offered it to McKay, "First, as is tradition for all our guests, you must drink some of this."

Rodney wrinkled his nose, "What the hell is that?"

Lavaan looked mildly put out and replied hotly, "It is the blood of the flying snake. It is very difficult to catch enough to create such a large amount of liquid. It is a great delicacy reserved only for special festivals and visitors."

McKay looked taken aback, but still did not drink any. Sheppard grabbed the bowl, "We're honoured you're sharing it with us." He shot a smug look at Rodney and sipped carefully at the edge.

Sheppard had to repress a shudder as he swallowed the foul tasting blood soup. He smiled widely. McKay tried not to laugh as he could see Sheppard fighting a battle against grimacing.

Sheppard was still feigning delight when he pitched forwards and landed face first in a plate of what looked like fried lizard tails.

Rodney's expression quickly changed to shock, "Hey! What's going on?"

Lavaan leaned forward, "You really should have drunk some Dr McKay."

As he spoke, the guard came up behind Rodney, grabbed the handle on the back of his tac vest and put a knife against his throat.

The guard grabbed Rodney's sidearm and removed the knife as he pointed the gun at him instead. Lavaan got up and pulled Sheppard off the food, onto his back. He removed Sheppard's P90 and sidearm, pocketing the sidearm and swinging his P90 to aim at McKay as well.

"Sodan, tie up Sheppard and we'll take them both to the flying machine."

"Hey, what are you doing?" McKay protested as Lavaan yanked him to his feet and pulled off his tac vest, "I need that!"

Lavaan responded by bringing up Sheppard's P90 and hitting McKay in the face. He staggered and groaned as he tasted blood. He brought his hand up to his assaulted jaw. He frowned at Lavaan as he stood there and defiantly, but protectively wrapped his arms around his chest, "And what are you and psycho knife man going to do with us after you have our ship?"

Lavaan pushed McKay's shoulder, spinning him around to face the tent exit. He then jabbed the muzzle of the P90 into the back of his ribs, "Shut up and move it!"

* * *

McKay dragged his feet as he walked along the village street at gunpoint. Lavaan kept pushing him along with the gun to go faster. He could hear Sodan breathing heavily as he carried Sheppard over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.

All around them frightened faces were peering out of tent flaps. Quickly closing them as soon as McKay looked at them.

"Hmm," he said quietly as a child squealed in terror when he stayed looking out of the tent for too long and caught McKay's eye. There was definitely something more going on here, but Rodney's top priority was to get out alive.

McKay could feel his sweaty palms and his heart was pounding quickly through fear. The air was quite a pleasant temperature when they arrived. The landscape comprised of a few scattered trees in fields with some hills in the distance.

* * *

When they got close to the Jumper McKay stopped, turned to face his captors and folded his arms across his chest, "What if I refuse to help you."

His reply was a peppering of bullets close to his feet, which made him cry out in panic.

He took a few rapid and shallow breaths for a few seconds trying to calm his nerves. "For such a primitive people, you have an unusual grasp of how guns work."

"We are not primitive. We were left here to capture you if you ever visited this place. I am glad it is just you Dr McKay. You seem softer than the other one and should be more easily persuaded to do as we say."

"Soft?" McKay said, but his fear made it come out as an embarrassing squeak. His reward was another brutal poke in the ribs with the P90.

"Ow," he protested, "So who do you work for?"

Sodan dropped Sheppard onto the ground, "We answer to the great Genii, Kolya."

McKay closed his eyes and furrowed his brow at this revelation, flashes of memories ran across his mind and he winced.

Lavaan laughed at the reaction, "I don't think you'll be able to resist if we threaten to shoot your friend." He swung the P90 round and aimed it at Sheppard's head.

Rodney's eyes opened widely in panic and his voice trembled, "You'd shoot an unarmed, unconscious man. Call yourselves soldiers?"

Lavaan looked enraged at this. He ran over to McKay and swept his foot along the ground kicking the backs of McKay's lower legs right in the tendon. Rodney fell over heavily and was winded so that he could not move for a few seconds. Lavaan saw his chance and quickly lifted his foot in the air; he then brought it down rapidly and stamped on McKay's stomach.

Rodney rolled over onto his side and curled up into a foetal position with his eyes screwed tightly shut. He coughed, winced and shuddered.

"I'm warning you Dr McKay. Any more of your 'comments' and it will be a bullet you feel in your gut next time and not just a foot.

"We're not just doing this for the Genii, Doctor. We've been stuck on this planet for months and you've just become our ticket out of here."

Rodney knew that the hard and fast rule was never to give in to terrorists, but he could not bear the thought of Sheppard being hurt because of him. He had a crazy idea forming in the back of his mind. It was an area where his brain still worked, as the pain could not reach it. He would find a way, whatever it took, to get them both out of this and keep the Jumper.

Lavaan used Sheppard's remote to open the Jumper's rear hatch. Sodan left Sheppard on the ground outside the Jumper and went inside.

McKay looked at Sheppard from the ground and held his forearm against his middle, just in case they decided to kick him again. "What did you do to him?" he gasped.

Lavaan looked down at him, "It's a special poison we found on this planet. It takes a while for it to get going. I don't think we'll need to hurt him at all to get your co-operation. Every moment you waste, every minute you try to stall us he will get closer to death."

Lavaan glared down at McKay, "So get up and fly this thing!"

"I'm not going to do anything unless Sheppard's with us."

"You're in no position to bargain."

Rodney winced as he tried to move. Seeing this, Lavaan lifted up his foot in a threatening manner. McKay eyed the foot in panic and sighed as he rolled over onto his front and pushed himself upright. He was not surprised when he felt the gun pressed firmly into his back and he was shoved into the Jumper. He tried to resist but Lavaan hit him again across the back of the head with the P90.

He looked back at Sheppard lying prone on the ground a few metres away from the Jumper, he could see his friend's face was pale, but his chest was still rising and falling as he breathed. Just before the hatch closed he thought he saw some of the locals moving over to try and find out what was going on.

He prayed that the natives from this planet were genuinely friendly. Being unarmed and at the mercy of two trained soldiers, Rodney thought it would be better for everyone if he resisted as little as possible, but it tore through his heart to leave his friend behind like that.

Rodney walked through the Jumper and sat in the pilot's chair. Lavaan and Sodan followed him. Lavaan sat in the co-pilot's chair and pointed his gun at McKay's chest. Sodan sat behind him, McKay was unsure what he was doing, but could not imagine it was anything good.

Rodney brought up the HUD. He noticed that there were several life signs moving away from the Jumper in a large huddle. He could not see a life sign where Sheppard had been a moment ago. He allowed himself to imagine this as a good thing, until his mind twisted it into dark thoughts of cannibalism and human sacrifices. He sighed as he lifted the Jumper off the ground. Time to put his plan into action. He would be back soon to pick up Sheppard.

* * *

McKay made the Jumper ascend until it was out in space. The planet glowed blue and green below with puffy white clouds scattered across the surface.

Rodney suddenly felt Sodan's gun pressing against the back of his head and he whispered menacingly, "What are you doing? Take us to the gate!"

McKay winced and steeled himself; "I'm taking you to the gate. It's quicker to fly in space as the stargate's on the other side of the planet. By the way I'm the only one who can fly the Jumper, so if you shoot me, you'll be stuck up here forever."

Rodney felt the gun being taken away and sighed in relief. He pressed a few of the controls and turned the Jumper over so that the captors could see the planet going past as they progressed towards the gate.

Suddenly the crystal tray in the rear compartment flew open and began emitting sparks.

"What's going on?" Lavaan asked in alarm as he took his eyes from McKay to look at the tray in alarm.

"It's your fault this is happening," McKay snapped. He pressed his hands together firmly so that his captors could not see how much they were shaking. "Why do you think there were two of us in this Jumper? It takes both of us to fly it. One stays here and the other constantly has to adjust the crystals to keep the craft functioning."

"Go, Sodan," said Lavaan.

Rodney looked at Lavaan with his eyes wide, "It won't be enough. I'm an expert at keeping the Jumper flying, but it'll take both of you to save the craft as you have no experience."

Lavaan narrowed his eyes at McKay. A massive shower of sparks and an audible 'whumph' sound came from the rear compartment. Lavaan decided it was better not to second-guess, so he got up and went into the rear compartment with Sodan.

"What do we do?" Sodan asked in panic as his face and shoulders were covered with bright blue sparks falling from the crystal tray.

"Hang on a moment," Rodney said, "I need to use the science station here to help you. We left it for too long and it'll now take all three of us to repair this or the ship will be destroyed."

Lavaan eyed him suspiciously as McKay got up and sat in the chair behind the pilot's seat. Rodney stole a quick look up at the panel on the wall next to the rear compartment door opening. He rapidly looked back down at the side of the Jumper, but the damage was already done.

Lavaan narrowed his eyes as he caught McKay looking at the wall, "You're lying," he said. He raised the P90 and pointed it at Rodney.

McKay lifted his hands up in surrender, but they were shaking too much and betrayed him to his captors. He looked up at the control panel again, he wished he had used the control on the pilot's console, but he had to be sure both of the men were well inside the rear compartment.

Convinced that he had been rumbled, McKay stood up and quickly stretched his hand out to close the rear compartment bulkhead.

As he pressed the panel, Lavaan simultaneously squeezed the trigger of the P90 and a bullet flew out into Rodney's side.

Rodney cried out in pain at the same time as the bulkhead closed. He was thrown back into the chair he had just risen from and then rolled onto the floor.

Rodney pressed his hand down firmly against his side as blood blossomed and spread across his shirt. He shuddered against the agony. Blood flowed between his fingers.

"_Sheppard_!" He thought through the blinding pain. He remembered something about having to rescue Sheppard as quickly as possible or he would be lost. He thought that sleep and oblivion felt like better prospects at the moment, anything to get away from the vice like pain in his side.

He was floating and just about to drift away entirely when he heard a loud banging and shouting. "Get up McKay!" He muttered to himself, "Save Sheppard, then you can sleep."

He thought the captors may be unfamiliar with the Jumper controls, but there was too much of a risk that they would be able to find the bulkhead opening lever.

He breathed heavily as he dragged himself across the deck of the Jumper to the pilot's chair. He had no access to any bandages to stop the bleeding. So he kept his hand pressed on his side as hard as he could stand.

"Not much longer now," he breathed, "Gotta do this to get that spiky haired blood drinking vampire back to Atlantis."

He sucked in another breath and shook; "I can't believe I left him behind on that planet. Some friend I am. Oh god! What if he's been eaten or killed by those spear-wielding natives.

"If it was the other way around, we'd be back in Atlantis by now and laughing it up in the mess hall. Oh…Teyla…Ronon. They should have come…"

His voice trailed off at a loud metallic thumping noise from the back of the Jumper. It sounded like they had just started shooting at the door.

He kept his friends faces in his mind as he hauled himself up into the pilot's chair. The agony was almost too much to bear, but he gritted his teeth and opened his watering eyes to look at the control panel. He blinked and focused on the buttons.

He began seriously contemplating opening the rear hatch and blasting them out into space, but quickly shook himself away from the thought. He shuddered when he remembered what happened to Lindstrom on the Daedalus after the Wraith virus took over. He had been plagued by nightmares for weeks after the incident.

The men may have taken him and Sheppard hostage, poisoned Sheppard and possibly fatally shot him, but he did not believe anyone should have to suffer that fate. There were better and more civilised ways to do things and he held fast by that, even as his blood flowed down his side through his fingers and dripped onto the floor.

He looked down at himself. There was a shiny patch across his shirt and leading down his leg. He was beginning to feel light headed and faint.

He would have to find another way of incapacitating the captors. McKay could not land the Jumper back on the planet and open the door, as they would escape. Atlantis was completely out of the question, as he needed to get Sheppard back as quickly as possible if Carson was to cure the poison.

His pain-clouded mind threw another option at him. He ran some calculations and entered some highly complex commands into the control panel. The buttons smeared with dark red blood as he worked, until he could no longer read them. He managed to deactivate the inertial dampeners in the rear compartment. He tapped another button and barrel rolled the Jumper quickly a few times.

The banging on the door stopped and satisfied that the guards were out of it, Rodney brought up the HUD. Still three life signs on the Jumper, "_Good_," he thought, "_I can go and save Sheppard now_."

He winced as he reached across to begin the orbital re-entry.

He could feel himself becoming weaker as the Jumper circled down to the ground. Every second that ticked by he lost more and more of his life force into a rapidly spreading pool on the floor of the Jumper.

He was about ready to collapse when he slammed the Jumper down heavily in the same field where they had been earlier. He gazed bleary eyed at the HUD as his eyes went out of focus. There were many life signs converging on the craft. His last action was to open the rear and bulkhead doors. He felt himself fall out of the chair onto the floor and a sickening dribble down his side as his hand fell away from keeping up the pressure. He closed his eyes and let himself slip away completely.

* * *

Sheppard's first feeling was of something cool being pressed against his forehead. The pleasant sensation was very quickly ripped away as he turned his head over to the side and retched onto the floor.

He felt the coolness leaving his forehead and a warm hand replaced it.

He opened his eyes and looked up into the eyes of a young woman. She was frowning and looking at him in concern.

She said, "I am Lorani."

Sheppard smiled at her, "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. What happened? The last thing I remember was talking with Lavaan in the tent. I drank something and then woke up here."

She said softly, "You were drugged. Lavaan and Sodan came here a few months ago with their weapons and grand stories of far-flung worlds orbiting the night stars. We were quickly swayed by them until we feared to go out or question anything they asked us to do."

Sheppard sat up and winced as his stomach muscles cramped.

She put a hand on his shoulder and continued, "We all hid when they took your friend into the back of the flying machine and flew away."

"Rodney…" Sheppard began.

"Lavaan asked us for the red poison this morning, shortly after you arrived. We dared not to ask for his motivations. As he has spoken frequently of world conquering armies and instant death which neither knife nor spear can stop. We only use the poison to keep predators away and for self-defence if any other villages threaten us. Fortunately we hold the antidote. I gave you some when he left you behind."

Sheppard held his head and stood up. "I have to get to Rodney."

"It's too late. We overheard the guards threatening to kill him if he did not obey. They knocked him to the ground and kicked him to make him do as they said. He had no chance against them, they have already hurt so many of us when we tried to stand up to them."

Lorani looked away.

Suddenly someone started shouting outside the tent, "The flying machine is back! The flying machine is back!"

"McKay…" Sheppard breathed and held a hand on his stomach as he ran out of the tent.

He looked up at the sky as Lorani stood next to him. The Jumper was weaving down toward the ground a little too fast and erratically for Sheppard's liking. He watched as it thumped down into the ground in a field just beyond the village.

He ran over to it is fast as possible. He could feel Lorani on his heels and several of the other villagers joined them with weapons.

He was the first to reach the Jumper and the rear hatch opened. Sheppard peered inside and saw the Lavaan and the guard who had shared 'the look' with Lavaan earlier. They were both unconscious and slumped on the floor in the rear compartment. They looked quite bruised and beaten up. Sheppard was about to make a comment about Rodney's hidden fighting talents finally shining through, when he saw another figure lying immobile on the floor in the middle of the cockpit.

Sheppard ran over to Rodney and reached down to feel for a pulse. It was weak and Sheppard saw the blood down his side, leg and on the deck.

"Lorani! Help me," he called.

Lorani was hovering at the edge of the Jumper eyeing it like it was dangerous. She was also warily looking at the men in the rear compartment.

"Please, Lorani," Sheppard said.

She shut her eyes as she walked over the threshold.

"Quickly, grab the red bag up in the right hand ceiling rack and bring it over here."

Sheppard carefully peeled Rodney's shirt back and found the bullet hole in his side.

Lorani dropped the bag next to Sheppard and looked at the wound, "I've never seen an injury like this."

Sheppard unzipped the bag and pressed a bandage against Rodney's side.

"It's a gunshot injury. You know you said these people," he looked in the back of the Jumper, "Have weapons that no spear can stop. This is what hurt my friend."

Lorani looked sad, "Will he be alright?"

"I don't know. Help me wrap this around him."

Sheppard bound the bandage all the way around Rodney's torso and continued to press on the site of the injury.

"He's lost a lot of blood. I need to get him back to my people as soon as possible."

Lorani looked out of the rear hatch. People with spears were standing guard and did not dare to enter into the craft, unlike Lorani. They had seen it come from the sky and did not want to risk it.

She asked, "What are we going to do with Lavaan and Sodan?"

"We'll take care of them."

"What you mean to kill them?" Lorani asked in alarm.

"No. We have… other ways of dealing with people like them. Needless to say, we'll take them off your hands and try to find out where they come from so we can return them."

"Thank you so much Sheppard!" She blushed and smiled.

"After I've taken Rodney to get help, I'll come back and we can properly start the trade negotiations with you and your people."

Lorani nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. She looked down at Rodney sadly, "I hope your friend recovers quickly."

"Thanks."

Lorani left the Jumper as Sheppard put another pressure bandage on Rodney's side. Satisfied that the blood loss was at least slowing down, Sheppard quickly bound the two prisoners and sealed them inside the rear compartment. He checked Rodney's pulse again. It was weaker but his heart stubbornly continued to beat and keep him alive.

Sheppard sat in the pilot's chair and flew the Jumper at full tilt back to Atlantis.

* * *

Sheppard sat by Rodney's bed in the infirmary a few days later. Rodney had bandages wrapped around him under the scrubs and he had an IV line in his arm.

Sheppard noisily turned a page in his book and Rodney moaned, opening his eyes slightly.

Sheppard put his book down and looked into Rodney's pale face, "Hey, how do you feel?"

"Like someone hit me really hard, but I'm also floating a bit on the drugs."

"Do you remember what happened?"

Rodney closed his eyes, "Lavaan and his sidekick Sodan. They sure were a delightful duo." He opened his eyes and looked at Sheppard, "But they poisoned you. I got shot and was trying to reach you. That's the last thing I remember."

"Don't worry, we sent them back to the Genii. Didn't they get a surprise when they discovered their former commander was disgraced? We've been assured that it will be a very, very long time before they're released from prison. If they're ever released at all."

"That's good," Rodney said sleepily.

Sheppard smirked as he asked, "How did you stop them? It looked like they were really beaten up when that hatch opened."

Rodney chuckled and winced as the bandages pulled, "I overpowered them."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, "Nothing physical then?"

"Let's just say, never back a genius into a corner, or something unexpected and unusual may happen to you."

Sheppard smiled, "On a lighter note, I met a woman called Lorani on the planet, she cured the poison and would like us to return. We'll wait until you're better, if you feel up to going back."

Rodney muttered, "Captain Kirk," under his breath and fell asleep again.

Sheppard smiled, he knew if he kept asking ten times a day, Rodney would eventually relent and tell him exactly how he managed to knock out the two men who had been the scourge of an entire village for months.

* * *

A/N – Hmm, hope Rodney's not too OOC in this chapter. I believe he would stick doggedly to his morals even after his captors seriously injure him. I was going to have him drop them off on an island somewhere, but after he was shot I didn't think he would have enough time or strength left to do this.

My ridiculous spell checker keeps changing 'unholster' to 'upholster!' Now every time I write a scene with guns in it I think of sofas…


	9. Parts and Pieces

Disclaimer – TPTB own it. I just like to play in the universe they created…

**Parts and Pieces**

Ronon squinted out the front window of the Puddle Jumper as it flew into the sun to enter orbit around the planet. He asked, "What's so special about this place?"

McKay looked up from his tablet where he was reading through some preliminary sensor data, "I don't know yet. You were in the briefing right? You should stop thinking about your hair and devising fifty new ways to kill a man and listen more carefully."

Ronon frowned like he was seriously contemplating physical violence against the scientist, "I'm thinking about one way to kill a man now."

Rodney flinched a little and started typing on his tablet again, "It was mentioned in the Ancient database as a research site. As usual, there was no other information. It didn't even say whether there were any buildings here."

Sheppard brought up the HUD as they slowly orbited around the planet. It was lush and green, most of the surface was covered in tropical rainforest and there were large oceans and lakes.

Sheppard looked at the life sign readings, "There are masses of life signs down there. If there are any humans on this planet, it'll be tricky to find them."

McKay studied the HUD and typed a few commands into the tablet, "I'm going to filter the scanners to pick up the largest concentrations and strongest readings."

A few seconds later most of the life signs winked out and where replaced by several large clusters scattered across the surface.

Teyla examined the HUD, "They may be villages."

Sheppard turned the Jumper towards the surface, "Okay, let's check it out. I'm going to land close to this one," he zoomed the HUD into the most extensive collection of life signs, "The largest settlement. Let's see who's down there."

* * *

The Jumper glided down lazily through the atmosphere and below the clouds as it sped along towards the life signs.

McKay looked up from his tablet and out of the windscreen in shock, "Colonel, I don't think the readings are people."

"What?"

"They're too big to be people. Some of them are almost as big as this Jumper."

Sheppard rolled his eyes, "Why didn't you say so before?"

"Because it was impossible to see from orbit. Also some of them are heading this way."

"Really?"

"Yes, they are coming at us alarmingly fast. In fact I'm not sure whether they're on the ground anymore."

Ronon leaned forward and looked out of the windshield keeping careful watch, waiting for one of the unknown creatures to come close enough to show itself. "So what are they?"

McKay rolled his eyes, "I don't know! I suggest you slow us right down Colonel. We should see them in a second."

The tension in the Jumper rose as they waited. Sheppard decided to stop the Jumper and kept it hovering above the trees. It was worth seeing exactly what was coming towards them. Not just for the team's curiosity, but to fill in the mission report when they returned Atlantis. Maybe they could find out exactly why the Ancients felt this planet worthy of a mention in the database.

The clouds were dark above them as the sky threatened rain. This made visibility very low.

After a minute Ronon pointed out of the window, "There," he said.

Teyla squinted in the direction he indicated, "Are they birds?"

Sheppard saw them as well. The unmistakable rise and fall as they flew, the dangling legs and vacant eyes, "Oh no! I hate bugs."

Rodney looked up from his tablet in horror and let out a muffled yelp in terror as he saw the creatures bearing down on them, "Euergh yuck!" He exclaimed, "Giant cockroaches!"

Sheppard cloaked the Jumper and turned it around to head away from the approaching swarm.

They quickly lost the swarm far behind them and watched the HUD as the creatures tried to keep up. Sheppard moved the Jumper on an erratic coarse to try and avoid them, but they always seemed to know where it was and adjusted their heading to follow.

McKay was staring at his tablet with wide eyes, trying to avoid thoughts of horrid giant insects, "The gravity on this planet is very low. Probably how the cockroaches have managed to mutate into such large proportions."

Sheppard zoomed the HUD out again when he was confident they had got away. His intention was to find a place to land and see if they could take a closer look at the bugs on the ground.

"Oh crap!" He said as he watched another massive swarm of the creatures fly up from the canopy immediately in front of the Jumper.

The cockroaches turned at the Jumper as Sheppard tried to avoid them. He was unsuccessful for the first few and they all smashed against the windscreen in loud crunchy sounds. He slammed the brakes on and hovered the Jumper to avoid any more casualties and damage to the Jumper.

Rodney had been right; they were absolutely massive. The ones Sheppard hit were at least people sized. The rest flew in circles all around the Jumper so that Sheppard did not dare to move it for fear of hitting them.

Rodney laughed as some of the bug's legs stayed stuck on the windscreen, "I think we need windscreen wipers. I don't want to be the one who draws the short straw to put this ship through the car… the Jumper-wash."

Teyla looked horrified. The legs were as thick as her arms and had spiny bristles growing out of them. Clear fluid oozed from the broken ends and slimed down the windscreen.

Ronon chuckled softly, "Wonder if they're good to eat?"

Sheppard grimaced at this disgusting thought. McKay shuddered.

Teyla broke the silence between the thuds as the oversized cockroaches swarmed around the stationary Jumper and continued to slam into it, "Would it not be a good idea to decloak the Jumper? If they can see us, they may be able to avoid hitting the ship."

McKay tore his eyes away from the gory sight on the windscreen, "Yes and maybe they'll go away, or at least clear a path for us to get away."

Sheppard decloaked the Jumper. The moment it appeared the bugs went mad and some began latching onto the drive pods and roof. The ones on the roof kept getting knocked off by the others, but the drive pod ones stayed attached and began pulling at the engines.

McKay looked at the HUD in alarm. Loud metallic sounds began to ring through the Jumper as he watched them tugging at the drive pods. "Get them off, they're damaging the Jumper!" He said to Sheppard.

Sheppard could also see the danger and was already reaching for the controls before Rodney spoke.

He urged the Jumper forwards. He ignored the loud splats as more cockroaches hit the window and rolled it over swiftly several times.

It was not enough though. One cockroach stayed firmly glued to the left drive pod with its sticky legs. The pulling strength only intensified as the Jumper spun round. In a deafening noise of tearing metal it ripped part of the pod away from the Jumper and fell to the ground.

Sheppard was still rolling the Jumper and flying along in a straight line when the pod was torn away. He tried in vain to correct the course of the craft, but the single remaining functioning engine sent them into a spinning dive and they crashed through the canopy and ploughed towards the ground.

* * *

The Jumper had come to rest on at the edge of a shallow swamp, which judging by the debris and squashed plant life, they had landed in it and skimmed across the surface towards the more solid land. The Jumper was not badly damaged, it just had a part missing from one of the drive pods.

Rodney groaned when he woke up and put a hand against his head. Around him everyone else was also shifting as they regained consciousness.

Out of the window it was quite dark and the forest seemed to be composed of impossibly large trees. Enormous leaves the size of doors hung down from some of the lower branches. There was a layer of brown pulp on the ground where previous fallen leaves were rapidly decaying. McKay looked up and found that he was unable to see the tops of the trees or any sky as the leaves blocked out the view. He was able to see that the trees were probably hundreds of metres tall.

He had a throbbing headache and looked across at Sheppard, who was a little dazed, but otherwise unharmed.

Sheppard spoke, "Is everyone ok?"

Teyla was looking around at all of them, "We all appear to be in one piece."

McKay rubbed his temples and winced, "Speak for yourself. I have a mighty headache."

Sheppard smiled and looked at Rodney's face, which was pale but otherwise unmarked, "If anyone has a headache grab some painkillers and let's get to work."

McKay leaned over and grabbed his tablet from the floor. He quickly ran a diagnostic on the Jumper.

"Apart from the damaged drive pod. There's nothing else wrong with the Puddle Jumper."

Sheppard asked, "Can we fly it out of here with only one engine?"

"Yes." Rodney frowned, "Bring up the HUD please."

Sheppard did as he asked.

"Look over there," McKay pointed to a blue light half a mile away with several red dots surrounding it, "It's the missing part from drive pod. It looks like our gravity unhindered friends have found it."

Teyla spoke, "Perhaps they are drawn to it; like they were drawn to us earlier even while we were cloaked."

Sheppard said, "They must be able to hear it."

Ronon said, "Or maybe they think it's dinner."

Rodney rolled his eyes, "While we're here and so close we may as well go and pick it up before we use the undamaged engine to fly back to Atlantis. It'll save us a lot of time when we repair it."

Sheppard weighed up the options for a minute, "I agree, let's go and get it. We can also take a closer look at the roaches while we're here. Teyla stay with the Jumper and make sure none of them get too close."

* * *

The reduced gravity on the planet had Sheppard, McKay and Ronon walking through the forest at a brisk pace. Ronon went first and cut through any branches and plants that stood in their way. The forest was humid and unpleasant and there where rustling sounds and strange animal noises all around them.

Rodney sighed and sniffed every few steps, "This horrid forest is doing nothing for my allergies. And what's that noise."

Sheppard had just begun to hear it too as they drew closer to the drive pod. It was a loud hissing noise and several sporadic but strangely rhythmic clicks.

Ronon answered, "It's the insects. They're talking to each other."

They reached a small clearing and were met by the sight of several car-sized cockroaches hanging around by the lost drive pod part. As they went past the last tree trunks and leaves obscuring their vision the hissing and clicking became much louder, almost to the point where they had to cover their ears.

Sheppard felt a little guilty when he noticed some of the cockroaches had legs missing. Even though they did not appear to be bothered by it. Although Sheppard reasoned that he probably just simply would not be able to recognize a pain response as the creatures differed so much to humans.

He gestured to Ronon and McKay to stay at the edge of the clearing where they could discuss a plan.

McKay spoke in a low voice, which was able to cut through the high-pitched roach song. "I need to get closer to turn off the pod. I think they're curious and are attracted by the sound the pod is emitting."

As Rodney spoke one of the cockroaches reared up and patted the pod with the sharp claws on its front legs. It let out a loud click and rubbed its legs together. Sheppard thought it seemed to be acting as if it was annoyed, but he reasoned that their expressions were too vastly different for anyone in the team to comprehend, so he may have been wrong.

"Hopefully when I turn it off, they'll lose interest and go away. Cover me while I go over and to deactivate the engine."

Sheppard was not too thrilled with the plan, but he thought one person would be less likely to spook the cockroaches, "Be careful. Remember no sudden moves or sounds. We'll stay at the edge and bail you out if anything happens."

Ronon and Sheppard kept their guns trained on the cockroaches as McKay slowly and warily walked towards the pod. Rodney was acutely aware of every sound and sight. The cockroaches fluttered their wings and seemed to be shifting about restlessly. He kept an eye on the massive bugs as he crouched down next to the engine, he breathed rapidly and tried to repress a shudder as one of the cockroaches faced him with its large black eyes. He did not know whether it was looking at him or not as it had no pupils.

He pried off a panel on the side of the drive pod to switch it off. He pressed a few of the buttons and the engine powered down to become silent.

The bugs were immediately shaken from their fascination with the softly humming engine and quickly turned their attention to the next most fascinating thing; the Atlantis team.

Sheppard watched in horror as the cockroach closest to McKay rounded on him and reared up. Rodney cried out in panic and raised his hands up to cover his face. The cockroach used its antennae to touch McKay. He shuddered as the feelers ran over him. The cockroach seemed to sense the fear and it brought its front legs up and shoved Rodney over onto his back.

The other cockroaches gathered around in a huddle to see what was so interesting.

Sheppard watched the situation deteriorating and signalled Ronon to shoot the cockroaches. Sheppard fired his P90 into the closest insect and Ronon fired shot after shot to clear a path to Rodney. There were so many of the insects, Sheppard prayed they would not be too late to save McKay as he dispatched another insect.

The cockroach stood on Rodney's chest and he closed his eyes so that he did not have to look up at the horrible mouth. He whimpered as the knife sharp claws dug a little way through his tac vest and under his skin.

He reached down and unholstered his sidearm and squinted and grimaced as he pointed it up at the cockroach's head.

The cockroach sensed his sudden hostile intensions and pulled its front claws out as it shifted and stabbed them into his lower torso. McKay screamed and shot a couple of rounds into the cockroach's mouth.

The cockroach shuddered a little and recovered. It leant forward and gathered up McKay's shoulder in its mouth. Rodney turned his head to the side and shook in disgust and terror as the claws in his sides kept him pinned to the ground and prevented him from flinching away from the horrid teeth. The cockroach bit down into his shoulder. McKay screamed again as pain tore through him.

The cockroach stopped as it drew blood and bit off a little of Rodney's shirt and tac vest. It chewed on them thoughtfully for a moment and then started to rock and shake as it was hit by sustained P90 and blaster fire.

Its claws were ripped out of McKay as it rolled over onto its back with all its legs twitching in the air.

Sheppard crouched down next to Rodney as Ronon fired a few more blaster shots at the retreating survivors. McKay lay with his eyes closed, he was visibly shivering in fear.

Sheppard laid a hand on his undamaged shoulder and squeezed, "Rodney? They've gone. We shot most of them and the rest ran away, we couldn't see what it did. Where did it hurt you?"

McKay opened his frightened eyes and looked at Sheppard. He lifted up his hands and moved them over the stab wounds on his chest and abdomen.

Sheppard could see Rodney's shoulder was torn up and unzipped his tac vest to see the other injuries. The cuts were not too deep, but looked jagged and painful. Sheppard bound them up as best he could and used a sling to immobilise Rodney's damaged shoulder.

Sheppard helped McKay to his feet and supported him. He then turned to Ronon who had just fired another shot at an over curious giant cockroach which had strayed too close.

"Do you think you can carry the engine part on your own?"

Ronon holstered his blaster and crouched down. He slipped his hands under the pod and tested its weight. He was pleasantly surprised when he was able to lift it relatively easily. The reduced gravity was working greatly in their favour.

Sheppard also found that Rodney's weight leaning on him was less than he expected and they made quick progress back towards the downed Jumper.

* * *

Teyla saw them approaching from the rear hatch of the Jumper and ran over to help Sheppard with McKay.

They staggered into the back of the craft and laid Rodney down on the floor. Ronon put the damaged engine part on one of the benches and grabbed the med kit.

McKay had his eyes closed and he was still shivering, despite the heat from the forest. They all helped to clean and rebind his injuries. Sheppard thought the cuts looked more red and angry now, probably due to infection.

Sheppard left Rodney in the care of Ronon and Teyla and walked into the cockpit. He sat down in the pilot's seat and diverted all engine power to the right pod. He reconfigured the navigation system to compensate for single engine flight and closed the rear hatch.

He weaved the Jumper between the branches as best he could and put it into a vertical climb to leave the planet and prevent any of the cockroaches from attacking them again.

* * *

Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon stood around Rodney's bed in the infirmary a few days later. He was recovering from a nasty infection, which had luckily responded to the strongest Milky Way anti-biotics.

He opened his eyes and looked up at them. His shoulder was bound up and his cuts had needed several stitches to help them heal.

He turned his head to Sheppard, "I promise, I'll never make any more comments about the Iratus bug incident."

Sheppard shuddered and looked away. After a few minutes he spoke, "We sent a team of entomologists back to the planet. They found spiders on the other side of the planet the size of houses."

What little colour there had been in McKay's face drained right out as he spoke, "You get house spiders, but then you get house-_sized_ spiders? Oh no, I think I'm going to be sick. Send me to Heightmeyer if I ever volunteer to go back to that place again. I'm going to have nightmares for weeks."

Carson saw that Rodney's visitors were upsetting him and quickly walked over and shooed them out of the infirmary to let McKay get some sleep.

* * *

A/N –Squelch! Squish! Crunch!

Thanks for reading! Reviews are gratefully accepted! x Varda x


	10. Starfall

Disclaimer – You already know

**Starfall**

The tinkling sound was inaudible at first. It gradually grew to become a series of rapid and loud bangs.

"What the hell's going on?" Sheppard asked from the pilot seat in the Jumper.

The team had been investigating several moons around a large barren planet. They were on their way to the last moon in the system.

McKay replied, "This isn't good…"

Ronon cut in, his voice getting louder as the sound increased, "Sounds like rain."

"It does not rain in space, Ronon," Teyla said.

McKay studied the readings on his tablet.

In the windscreen of the Jumper the team could now see what was causing the noise. A large dust cloud was flying past the Jumper, larger fragments of rocks could be seen within the cloud as it flowed through the system without being stopped by friction.

Ronon asked, "Why didn't you see it before."

McKay sighed and frowned in annoyance, "In case you hadn't noticed, we've been focusing all of our scans on the moons. It seems that this cloud is travelling at thousands of miles an hour, so we had no warning until now."

"Cool," Sheppard said as the rock fragments caught the sunlight and shone a multitude of colours as the team watched.

McKay looked up from his laptop and stared out of the windshield with the others, "No, Colonel, not cool. It's part of a massive expanse of rocks and dust heading through the system."

Teyla asked, "Can we not make it back to the gate?"

McKay frowned and spoke in a patronising voice, "The gate is hours away in the direction where the cloud came from. The rock fragments are of varying sizes, but I have detected some heading for us, which will probably be able to breach the hull. All of us will then suffer a horrendously painful space vacuum death."

Sheppard's face fell just as a loud band echoed around inside the Jumper.

McKay continued, "As it is, it's already going to take us hours to pull out all the dents."

Rodney snapped his fingers together a few times, "The second moon we surveyed had an atmosphere."

Sheppard brought up the HUD which now displayed a large brown patch as the cloud spread through the system. The planet was the largest reading, but Sheppard zoomed the HUD into a small moon. He remembered it had a small body of water and the rest of the surface had a few scattered and hardy shrubs and trees, but was mainly composed of rocks.

"We could land on the moon and wait it out. The largest and most dangerous fragments will all but burn up in the atmosphere. According to the readings, the worst of the fragments will finish passing over the planet in a couple of hours. It will then be safe for us to head back to the gate."

Sheppard sped the Jumper towards the relative safety of the moon's atmosphere. McKay pointed at the HUD, "I suggest you land close to the water."

Sheppard obeyed and everyone but McKay gasped at the sight, which met them as the Jumper skimmed the outer edge of the atmosphere. Trails of fire streaked out in front of the ship, coating the entire surface of the atmosphere as dust and rocks burnt up during entry. Larger rocks could be seen tumbling and breaking up into hundreds of fragments as the atmosphere destroyed them.

The Jumper jolted violently as it was hit by another large rock. Sheppard was glad when the craft got closer to the ground and the noise lessened and then became silent.

He landed the Jumper flawlessly in a clearing by the large lake. There were several trees around the lake, but most of the ground was dark brown soil and rock.

Teyla asked, "Is it night time?"

"Yes," Rodney replied.

Ronon answered, "Could have fooled me."

The sky was a brilliant shade of orange as countless dust and rocks became nothing but fire and ashes in the atmosphere. The light was so intense that the entire ground was bathed in an eerie hue of yellow and orange.

Sheppard smiled at the sight, "Can we go out to get a better look?"

McKay was looking down at his tablet, ignoring the spectacle, "Probably. If you really want to."

Sheppard looked across at his friend incredulously, "Come on Rodney. You must be a little in awe of the sight, even with your need to scientifically analyse everything."

McKay kept studying the tablet and a frown crinkled his brow.

"Come _on_ McKay."

Sheppard got up and grabbed McKay's arm and all but pulled him out of the seat and towards the rear hatch of the Jumper. Teyla and Ronon were already waiting restlessly to get a proper view of the show.

"And leave that behind," Sheppard pointed to McKay's tablet, which the scientist was hugging protectively across his chest. He did not move. So Sheppard grabbed the tablet, Rodney did not resist, but sighed as Sheppard walked back into the cockpit and tossed it onto the co-pilot's chair.

"Teyla, grab the field blankets."

She raised her eyebrows in question, but did as he asked.

Sheppard walked to the hatch and pressed the wall panel to open the door.

The sight that met them was more beautiful and incredible than what they had seen out of the Jumper windshield.

The entire sky from horizon to horizon was lit up in a fiery glow. Individual and brighter trails could be made out as larger rocks breached the atmosphere high above them. The trails quickly disappeared, but were replaced by more and more as other rocks were broken up and dissolved into dust.

Rodney looked up briefly and winced. He put his hand up to shield his eyes from the glare.

Ronon looked up impassively, but still continued to stare with wide eyes.

Teyla's face shone in excitement and awe.

"Follow me." Sheppard said.

The team walked down towards the shore of the lake. The water glowed as though it was a pool of fire. The reflection of the sky in the shining liquid made it look like it had changed into molten lava.

"Okay, this'll do." Sheppard said as they stood by the lake a short distance from the Jumper. There were no trees on the shore and there was a beach comprised of finer silts, which had been washed up at the edge of the lake.

Sheppard grabbed the blankets from Teyla and laid them down on the beach.

"Okay, now we just watch and wait." Sheppard lay down on one of the blankets and put his hands behind his head so that he could look up at the sky.

Teyla looked a little surprised, but shook her head and lay down on a blanket next to Sheppard. Ronon sat down on the ground.

Rodney looked down at his teammates, lost without his tablet. He looked at the lake and his brow continued to furrow as he was unsure what to do.

Ronon raised his eyebrows as he looked at McKay's lost and confused expression. He stood up and shoved Rodney down onto the ground on the blanket the other side of Sheppard.

"Come on McKay," Sheppard said, "Just shut off that brain of yours and watch. It'll only be for a couple of hours."

Teyla was still staring in awe at the fire-streaked sky, "It is so beautiful. I have seen starfalls on Athos but never anything like this. I have heard tales of planets where this happens every few years. But the stories I have been told never spoke of the incredible wonder of such an event."

Rodney sighed and looked at his feet as he sat next to Sheppard.

Sheppard sat up and grabbed the handle on the back of McKay's tac vest and pulled him right back so that he was lying down and could no longer avoid the sight.

Sheppard watched McKay's face as he first truly looked at the light show above them. He laughed as Rodney's expression shifted quickly from boredom and indifference. His eyes squinted at first and they got gradually wider and his mouth opened slightly as he looked up into the cosmic display.

"There you go Rodney. Isn't it amazing?"

Calculations of velocities and orbital entry angles of all the dust and debris danced across McKay's mind as he watched. After a while he closed his mouth and smiled, his face the colour of orange flame as the meteors ignited to light up the heavens. He let out a little whimper of delight.

Ronon had his head tilted back and grunted as a much larger and brighter streak of orange trailed across the sky. After a few more minutes, Ronon joined the others as he lay back on his blanket and he too was mesmerised by the spectacle.

* * *

The team lay in a timeless trance as they all gazed up and watched the ethereal light show. The meteors were unnervingly silent, belying the savagery of the destruction evident above them, as billions of particles and rocks were broken apart in friction.

The silence was broken by a loud hissing sound. It was shortly followed by a crackling sound from a nearby hedge.

McKay's contented smile was replaced by a frown, as his brain kicked back into gear by the telltale sounds now surrounding them. The hissing got louder and more frequent and a pattering sound had also started to punctuate the crackles.

Rodney felt something slam into his chest and he made an 'oomph' sound and groaned as he rolled over onto his side. He looked down and found a glowing rock tucked in next to one of his tac vest pockets. It was beginning to melt through the fabric and he quickly jumped up and shook it off. He felt an angry bruise forming underneath his shirt. He reached up and put his hands over his head to shield himself.

Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon also sensed that something was not quite right. They all sat up and looked around in horror.

McKay's eyes widened in panic as he saw the scene before him; hot stones and rocks were making it through the atmosphere. The debris in the cloud had obviously now become too large to be completely broken up by the friction in the atmosphere. The water in the lake was hissing and steaming as orange rocks rained down and splashed into the pool. Trees and shrubs were beginning to ignite as they were hit by fiery rocks, which quickly caught the tinder dry wood and leaves.

Sheppard jumped to his feet, "Quickly! Everyone back to the Jumper."

He was just reaching down to grab the blankets when a fist sized glowing rock landed on his blanket and melted a large black hole in the middle.

The team ran as fast as they could back to the craft. All the while debris and rocks were now pelting them mercilessly. They held their hands up over their heads like McKay and were rewarded with bruises and burns wherever the rocks struck them.

The landscape was starting to resemble the scene in the sky over them above. Trees and shrubs were burning. The lake seemed to be boiling as it quenched rocks and hissed and spat water.

"Looks like hell," McKay muttered as they ran into the open Jumper hatch and caught their breath.

Sheppard slammed his hand on the control panel to shut out the growing heat as all around them the moon burned.

He turned and examined everyone. They all had black and purple bruises on their arms and Ronon looked a little dizzy as blood leaked from a cut on the back of his head.

The rocks were pounding down onto the roof of the Jumper and the noise made speaking impossible.

Sheppard pointed at Teyla to help Ronon, and then indicated for McKay to join him in the cockpit.

Rodney unconsciously rubbed a hand on his sore chest as he sat down. Sheppard sat next to him and brought up the HUD. It displayed the rock missiles now falling through the atmosphere. It was still breaking them apart, but not nearly enough as their size had increased greatly.

McKay picked up his tablet and wrote across the screen. He turned it around and showed Sheppard.

Sheppard nodded and lifted the Jumper off the ground. He glided it forward slowly and dunked it under the surface of the lake.

The sound diminished to a much quieter pattering sound and faded to a sound just like soft rain as he sunk the Jumper and set it down on the bottom of the lake.

They could now talk as Sheppard powered down the engines. He grinned across at Rodney.

McKay said with a smirk, "Why else do you think I got us to land next to the lake? I thought it better to be close to the safest place on the whole moon. This will hopefully protect us from the meteors for much longer."

"I'm glad you're so paranoid all the time."

Rodney raised his eyebrows, "Pessimism has its merits, Colonel."

Sheppard laughed and left Rodney to go and check on Ronon.

* * *

They waited on the lakebed for a few hours, until Rodney gave them the all clear that they could leave. Ronon had a mild concussion. Teyla had already bound his head and given him some painkillers. He sat in his chair staring out of the window, but not really seeing it.

Sheppard flew the Jumper up out of the lake and climbed out of the atmosphere into space. He rolled the ship over so that they could see the surface of the moon.

There were glowing fires across the landscape. Some raged so largely that it appeared that the whole moon was glowing with fire.

McKay ran some scans on his tablet, "Looks like it's a good thing we made it back to the Jumper when we did. The atmosphere is now toxic."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, "Not much of a holiday spot them?"

McKay narrowed his eyes at Sheppard, "Most of the trees have been burnt. I doubt whether the ecosystem will ever recover."

Teyla looked sad, "It is a shame that something so magnificent could be so destructive. At least we were here to witness the event."

Sheppard flew the Jumper in orbit around the moon for a few more minutes and then turned and headed back to the space gate and Atlantis.

* * *

A/N – Hot hail… I figured Sheppard would have to prod McKay gently away from the science to shut it out for a while just to watch. Sorry if it's OOC, but it was quite hard to decide what Rodney's reaction would be.

As always, I love reviews and they help feed my muse! x Varda x


	11. Prang

Disclaimer – the usual

This scenario has a faint whiff of AU (Go with it ok!). Characters will stay true (at least as true as I can make them :P ).

Set after 'Misbegotten.'

**Prang**

Sheppard looked at his team in dismay as they sat around the conference table. Lines of stress and tiredness etched into their faces.

Dr Weir had noticed it too and she was watching them with an expression of concern and a slight frown.

Ronon was fiddling absent-mindedly with a small hole in his shirt, while Teyla, Beckett and McKay stared off into space.

"Buck up guys!" Sheppard cried out when he could not stand the tension any longer, "We survived didn't we?"

Rodney looked up, "All that Wraith Intel. Gone," he snapped his fingers, "Just like that. They nearly killed us…" his breath hitched slightly and he looked back down at the table.

"We killed all those people," Teyla said, looking horrified.

Ronon stopped enlarging the hole for a moment and gazed at Teyla, "They were Wraith. We may have made them look human, but they will always be Wraith."

Dr Weir clasped her hands together in front of her. "This is why I called you here. Dr Heightmeyer has expressed a… concern about everyone on the base."

Rodney's eyes darted between them all nervously.

Weir continued, "She has reported that the high levels of stress created by the incident with the Wraith are still having a detrimental effect on _all_ personnel. Recent events really put us through the wringer and I think we need some kind of morale booster to get us back on track."

Sheppard smiled, "Sounds like a good idea. What do you have in mind?"

Weir pressed her lips together wryly, "I was hoping you would all be able to _help me_."

"Why don't we go camping?" Teyla said.

Rodney rolled his eyes, "I thought the intention was to _reduce_ stress."

Teyla glared at him.

"Treasure hunt?" Ronon said.

Sheppard smiled, "I think you'd win that one."

Ronon raised his eyebrows, "Really? You think?"

Rodney said, "Just as long as it doesn't involve work, Wraith or fighting."

Weir turned to Sheppard, "What about something with the Puddle Jumpers? You mentioned that some people needed more practise flying them."

Sheppard looked pointedly at Rodney as Weir spoke.

"Hey!" he said indignantly.

Sheppard looked at the table, his expression showing that he was deep in thought. After a while his eyes narrowed. "How about running time trials around Lantea. We could set up a course with the hovering targets we found on the West Pier. Nothing like a bit of friendly competition to get everyone focused again."

Beckett's eyes were getting wider the whole time Sheppard was speaking, "Bloody hell Colonel, you still want the Jumper intact at the end of the course? Perhaps it's better if I sit this one out."

Rodney's face was twisted in panic, "That's a terrible idea Sheppard. I hope you're not expecting me to participate."

"_Everyone_ who is able to fly the Puddle Jumpers will be expected to take part."

Ronon laughed, "McKay, I'll be surprised if you can keep the Jumper on track to finish the course at all."

Rodney frowned and folded his arms across his chest, "Is that a challenge?"

"Uh… sure," Ronon said with a sly smile.

"Alright. I'll do it, but only to show you I can."

Sheppard locked eyes with Weir for a moment and they both smirked.

Weir spoke, "Okay. Colonel, I would like you to devise and set up the course. Every person is to go around on their own to avoid collisions."

She turned to Rodney; "I would like you to set up cameras on the targets and in the Jumper we will be using and then link them to a live video feed for the mess hall."

"Okay," he said. He did not look as downcast as he was at the beginning of the meeting.

Teyla was smiling and her eyes were showing the first signs of excitement.

Weir looked at them all and smiled, "Okay, get to it."

* * *

The sense of excitement rose in Atlantis as the time trial day approached. Sheppard had tried to stop anyone from calling the event a 'race' as the intention was just to give everyone something else to think about other than how close the Wraith came to getting to Earth.

Rodney and Zelenka easily fitted cameras to the targets, they had even been able to rig a way for them to rotate and track a Jumper when it flew past. They also put cameras on the front of the Jumper and in the cockpit. Several other scientists and even Kavanagh had tried to help, but McKay angrily patted their hands from the panels they touched and shooed them away. He told them to work on the screens and interface in the mess hall with everyone else.

The day before the event, Sheppard flew around the course he had devised and dropped targets off at each corner and marker. He believed he had come up with a challenging, exciting and fun course for them all to try. It looped around Lantea, taking in all the sights. It had underwater and overland sections; a section in space, a slalom and a loop. He flew over the course a couple of times admiring his handiwork.

Dr Weir tried to ignore the rumours of wild bets on each of the ATA gene carrier pilots. She could no longer avoid it when she heard raised voices as she walked down a corridor.

"But he can't even fly the thing in a straight line!" A snide and superior voice floated down the corridor.

"He's a lot better than he was at first. I think he will at least finish." The accent was unmistakable.

Dr Weir rounded the corner and saw Zelenka and Kavanagh glaring at each other. Kavanagh had just raised his finger to make another comment, his mouth hung open guiltily as Weir raised an eyebrow at them.

She asked, "How are the cameras gentlemen?"

Kavanagh muttered, "I.. uh… they're all finished Doctor Weir. We're ready for the race this afternoon."

Weir raised both eyebrows, "Hasn't Sheppard told you? It's not a race; it's just something to lighten the mood and take our minds off recent events."

They both still looked terribly guilty and did not speak.

Weir sensed the tension and walked away, "I'll see you both in the mess hall later."

She heard their heated discussion begin again when they thought she was out of earshot, but it still echoed noisily down the corridor.

* * *

Sheppard stood in front of the entire expedition in the mess hall. The ATA gene carriers were seated in chairs in front of everyone else. There were about fifteen of them, including marines and pilots from the Daedalus as well as some civilians. Rodney's eyes kept darting around in nervousness and he wrung his hands together. Sheppard thought he looked a little pale.

Beckett was staring at the large display screen that had been set up with a look of resigned terror in his eyes.

Several members of the science team where at the back of the room standing by a makeshift real-time editing suite they had set up. Several laptops were lined up; each screen displaying several video feeds from the hovering targets around the course.

Sheppard raised his hand to Zelenka at the back of the room. He nodded and activated a control on one of the laptops. A twisting map flashed up on the large screen. Sheppard pointed at each section as he spoke guiding everyone around the course with his intentions for each part. He said that as he had already flown round it many times, he would not be participating, but would act as navigator over the radio from Atlantis. That way no-one could accuse him of favouritism or cheating.

A marine went first. The course took about twenty minutes to complete. The mess hall was full of ooh's and ah's as he skilfully glided the Jumper through the water and wove around the slalom with ease. The scientists had done an excellent job on installing the cameras. They switched views to show the look of concentration on the marine's face as he navigated a tricky corner as fast as he could. They then changed the camera to show the Jumper as it flew past at an incredible lick.

Everyone cheered when the marine walked into the mess hall with a massive grin on his face. Several other marines went over and patted him on the back.

Sheppard's voice came over the PA, _"Dr Rodney McKay. You're up."_

McKay's face fell and his hands slimed together in sweat as he continued to rub them together nervously. Beckett gave him a brave smile as he walked past.

* * *

Sheppard met Rodney in the Jumper Bay. He had a few laptops set up on a table at the edge of the bay. He could therefore see every video feed and avoid the noise in the mess hall.

"Did I mention I really don't want to do this?"

Sheppard grinned, "Just try your best Rodney. It's only a bit of fun after all."

"Didn't seem like that much fun, based on the shouting in the mess hall. Everyone's really serious about this."

Sheppard's face fell a little. He put a reassuring hand on Rodney's back and gently guided him towards the designated Jumper for the time trial. He had decided to make it fair, everyone was to use the same craft.

"You'll do fine, just enjoy the ride."

Rodney looked like he had no intention of 'enjoying' anything for the next twenty minutes, although he thought it was more likely to be over an hour before he made it all the way around. He could imagine everyone in the mess hall laughing as he veered off course. He could not think of anything worse. It was highly unlikely that they would never let him forget about it either.

He was so preoccupied in contemplating his fate in misery that he did not realise when Sheppard's hand had left his back. He sat down in the pilot's chair with a resigned sigh and ran through a few mental checks as he felt the Jumper powering on.

Sheppard's voice came over Rodney's radio, _"Okay, the first part of the course is a steep climb into space."_

Rodney lifted the Jumper off the ground. Although he could not hear or see them, he could feel everyone's eyes burning into him as they watched his every move and twitch. He set his lips in a hard line and frowned in concentration.

Sheppard's infuriatingly calm voice came over the radio again, _"Just relax. They can't hear us."_

Rodney grimaced as he flew the Jumper out of the Bay. He brought up the HUD and could see the targets laid out around the course. Sheppard had asked one of the scientists to draw a line between each target to mark out the course on the HUD.

McKay sighed as he flew the Jumper high into the sky as fast as he could.

The sky got gradually darker as he flew out into space. He could now see the target through the windscreen.

"_That's it Rodney. The next target is underwater, close to the mainland."_

"Underwater!" Exclaimed McKay as a cold sweat broke out on his face.

"_Don't worry. It's in the shallows, that way if anything…"_ His voice trailed off as Rodney began to tremble. The Jumper sensed it's pilot shaking and started spinning.

Rodney closed his eyes tightly as the sun kept flashing and rolling across the window. He took a few steadying deep breaths and opened them. The Jumper stopped spinning and flew past the first target. He turned it back towards the planet and dove back into the atmosphere towards the coast along the mainland.

_"That's it Rodney, you're doing really good. The shallow water section lasts a few minutes from one target to another. The second target marks where you should leave the water."_

The Jumper came down short of the first underwater target, so Rodney skimmed low across the sea. He could make out the approaching coastline appearing across the horizon as he sped towards it.

_"Okay, dive now."_

Rodney obeyed, closed his eyes and held his breath as the Jumper broke the surface of the water.

_"Uh Rodney, it might help if you had your eyes open."_

"Oh right."

Rodney opened them and could see nothing but the dark blue depths through the window. Images of whales and sinking into oblivion alone ran through his memory and he tried to block them out with little success.

He stared at the HUD trying to ignore the crushing water beyond the glowing display. He zoomed the HUD into his current position and some of his fear dissipated when he realised Sheppard was right. The water here was very shallow. It should not cause any problems, pressure wise, if the Jumper lost power and sunk to the seabed. He thought maybe Sheppard had done it on purpose, just for him.

_"You're nearly at the second target. After you fly past go straight up and leave the water. You should be able to see the next target over the mainland. That marks the start of the slalom."_

"Hmm." What little colour had been in McKay's face drained out completely and he grimaced.

He saw the second target go past on the HUD and let out a sigh of relief as he flew the Jumper towards the surface. The dark water became clearer and was eventually replaced by a bright and clear blue sky.

He saw the next part of the course snaking across the mainland. The aim was to go around the outside of each target in a series of tight turns.

Rodney flew up quite high in the air.

_"That's a little bit high Rodney. You need to be at the same altitude as the targets."_

McKay said through gritted teeth, "They're a bit low, Colonel. I think I'll be lucky not to clip the tree tops and mountains flying like that."

_"Just try it ok? Don't worry too much about speed, just concentrate on not missing any turns. I don't know, imagine you're trying to out manoeuvre a Wraith dart or something."_

"A dart?"

_"Well whatever else you can get to work for you I suppose."_

"A dart'll do."

Rodney aimed the Jumper down to the first target and flew low over the ground. He easily passed the first target and slowed the Jumper down on the turn as he flew towards the next on. Trees, lakes and fields rolled across the windscreen as he flew past.

"_Okay, that's really good Rodney."_ Sheppard sounded genuinely surprised at how much McKay's flying had improved since his first lessons.

Rodney sensed his friend's tone of voice, and he used his best sarcastic voice to reply, "Gee thanks Sheppard. I always knew you had such confidence in me."

He had the corner of his tongue sticking out of his mouth and moved in his seat with each turn, even though the inertial dampeners meant that he could not feel a thing.

As he flew past the last target the Jumper began to buck a little and the controls started to become less responsive. Rodney dismissed it, as he had been gripping the control sticks very tightly the whole time and his hands were beginning to seize up.

_"Okay the next target marks the start of 'the loop.'"_

"'The loop?'" Rodney said in alarm.

_"Just follow the course as closely as you can from the HUD."_

Rodney looked at the HUD and saw a sweeping circular ring marked out by targets at four points. The Jumper let out a violent shudder.

"_What's happening?"_ Asked Sheppard, _"Is that you doing that?"_

"Probably, my hands are sore."

Rodney had just begun climbing into the loop, when the power cut out briefly and then came back on. His heart rate increased in panic. It was already quite high from the stress of navigating the course.

_"That definitely wasn't you. There's something wrong with the…"_

Sheppard's voice cut out completely as the power turned off in the Jumper once again. Only this time it did not come back on straight away.

"Oh crap," McKay whispered as the Jumper lost speed and the nose pitched down in a dive. His eyes widened as the ground rushed up to meet him. He screwed his eyes closed tightly and turned away waiting for the fatal and inevitable impact.

Suddenly the power whooshed back on and Rodney quickly urged the Jumper to fly up away from the ground.

_"Land, Rodney, land!"_ Sheppard's voice came over the radio again as the power came on.

Rodney had no argument with that. He had swept the Jumper up into the sky again when the power came back on. It was rattling and shaking around him.

He had just begun to lower it towards the ground when a massive explosion ignited one of the drive pods. The bulkhead slammed closed as a fireball tore through the rear compartment and the Jumper ditched into the ground at a sickening speed.

* * *

Wipeout!

A/N – Anyone who's read my longer fics will already know that I'm a sucker for a cliffhanger…


	12. Prang Part II

Disclaimer – whenever, whatever…

Crash and burn…

**Prang Part II**

The mood in the mess hall was mixed as everyone watched Rodney's progress on the screen. The scientists cheered and shot scathing, superior looks at the marines whenever Rodney went past another target. Most of the marines were dumbfounded that McKay was such a good flyer. They had only ever heard stories about the erratic flight path he often took and his nervousness whenever he was forced to fly.

The scientists at the back of the room, including Zelenka and Kavanagh, carefully chose the camera angles and quickly switched away from Rodney whenever he looked scared. As it was, most of the time they used the cameras on the targets to show his progress. Kavanagh was frantically typing away on one of the laptops with a sheen of sweat on his face. Zelenka noticed.

"What are you doing? Looks like you're going to lose bet, hmm?"

Kavanagh scowled as he carried on typing.

Teyla, Ronon and Beckett were smiling as they watched their friend clear the water and turn the Jumper over the mainland. Beckett had forgotten his own fear for a moment, as he was astounded at Rodney's sudden improvement. Carson thought that McKay had made them all believe he was no good at flying, because he always vehemently complained whenever he was forced to. He was pleasantly surprised with everyone else in the room.

The camera switched to Rodney as his tongue curled out of the corner of his mouth unconsciously in concentration. They watched as he leaned into each turn on the slalom. Some of the marines laughed until the scientists yelled at them to shut up.

The image flickered slightly as Rodney completed his last turn. Teyla and Ronon shared a look and shrugged as they turned back to watch.

The marines where still making a lot of noise at Rodney's expense when the Jumper began visibly shaking as he tilted the nose skywards to begin 'the loop.'

The smiles fell a little when the image cut out for a few seconds.

Weir was standing at the back and asked Zelenka, "What's wrong?"

He replied, "I don't know. Video feed just cut out suddenly."

He pressed a button and the main screen changed to an external view of one of the cameras on a target in the loop.

The smiles and laughter instantly vanished as they watched Rodney's Jumper diving towards the ground. Out of control and with no power.

"Oh no," Teyla said with her eyes open wide. She put her hands over her mouth.

There was a collective intake of breath when the drive pod lights came back on once more and Rodney managed to sweep the craft up in time not fly into the ground.

They kept watching in horror as an explosion tore through one of the drive pods and the Jumper lost its battle with gravity once again. It crashed into several trees in a massive fireball. Then they could no longer see it at all as nothing but flames and burning embers rose around the crash site.

"Rodney…" Teyla gasped.

Weir stood still with her mouth open for a moment then quickly gathered her thoughts together. She called through the stunned silence.

"I want a rescue team and a med team ready to go in the Jumper bay in a couple of minutes."

Everyone in the mess hall was still silently watching the screen as the camera showed smoke and flames licking up from the site where Rodney's Jumper had disappeared a moment ago.

Weir turned to Zelenka and said quietly, "Shut it off please."

He was still staring at the images in shock. He shook his head, pushed his glasses up and turned off the main screen.

This seemed the awaken everyone out of their trances and people began mobilising and co-ordinating their efforts.

She clicked her radio, "Weir to Sheppard."

"_Go ahead Doctor."_

"I want two Jumpers equipped for a rescue mission ready to depart as soon as the other teams are ready."

"_I know. I saw what happened. I'm already in pre-flight preparations. I've called another marine pilot to fly the other one."_

His voice was stoic and cold, completely unreadable. Obviously he was too shocked to fully comprehend what had happened yet.

Carson was talking to his medical team who had been allowed to leave the infirmary to watch the time trial. "I need you to go to the infirmary and grab a triage kit, based on the fire it looks like we'll be dealing with burns, so bring extra plasma and sterile bandages."

* * *

The force of the explosion in the Jumper blasted Rodney forward. He cried out as he felt the searing heat across his back just before the bulkhead door closed.

He was then pushed back into the seat by G-force as the Jumper accelerated down and out of control, he knew there would be no chance of salvation this time.

The crushing sensation was short-lived and quickly replaced when the Jumper impacted the ground nose first. Rodney was rapidly and brutally thrown forward again. As the Jumper came to an abrupt halt his lower torso slammed into the control panel. He threw up his arms instinctively across his face to protect his head as the rest of his body curled up around the panel.

The motion was so severe and jarring that he was mercifully knocked out before the pain was able to reach his brain.

The Jumper stayed upright for a moment and then fell onto its roof and rocked from side-to-side as it settled. All around the trees were on fire and the inferno began to spread. Rodney limply fell from his position wrapped around the console and came to rest on the Jumper's ceiling, which had now become the floor. There he lay sprawled out, bleeding and oblivious to the world.

* * *

Sheppard flew the Jumper swiftly over the ocean towards the mainland. He had asked Zelenka to come along too. He had an idea forming in his mind and may need the scientist's help to pull it off. He made the medical and rescue teams cram into the other Jumper with all their gear.

Sheppard had his face set with a look of grim determination. Zelenka idly watched out of the windscreen, unsure exactly what to do or say.

Neither of them spoke for the whole trip. They did not want to voice the concern they had_. How could anyone survive a crash like that?_

They saw the smoke from the raging fires before they even saw the land. Sheppard sped toward the billowing black plume and circled around high in the air above it.

"See anything, Radek?" Sheppard brought up the HUD and was met by an image of thermal currents and heat patterns of the firestorm below.

"The fire is masking everything. If we put it out maybe I can see where Jumper crashed. But I'm not sure." Zelenka's voice shook and he looked sad and shocked as he studied the readings. His friend was down there in the middle of all that.

"Colonel, I…" he began.

"No, don't say anything. Not yet. Let's get this fire out first."

Sheppard radioed the other Jumper and told them to land in a safe area within a large clearing comprised of rocks and stones, so that the fire could not spread to them.

He watched as the rescue team came out from the back of the Jumper in full fire fighting gear, oxygen tanks and masks. There was no water anywhere nearby to put out the fire and their extinguishers looked pitiful and woefully inadequate in the face of such a large conflagration.

"Sheppard to Jumper Four,"

"_Go ahead Colonel,"_ Beckett replied from the relative safety of the other Jumper's cockpit.

"Stay put for now. I have an idea.

"_Ok Colonel, you'd better hurry though; the fire's growing all the time."_

Sheppard turned to Zelenka, "Radek, we know from Rodney's trip down into the watery depths last year that the bulkhead door is watertight. And the Ancient systems are pretty hardy."

"Oh Colonel, you can't be thinking…"

"Yes, yes I am. We must hurry though. It took us a long time to get mobilised and fly over here."

Sheppard flew the Jumper over the sea and under the surface. "_If this doesn't work, then the other Jumper will have to try on their own," h_e thought.

He shut the bulkhead door and turned to Zelenka, "Ok, do it."

"I warn you Colonel. I had to turn off many safety protocols."

"Just try, for Rodney's sake."

"Alright…"

He pushed up his glasses and typed a few commands into his tablet.

The rear door opened and they both heard a loud splashing sound, as the rear compartment was deliberately flooded. There was a quiet yet reassuring bang as the rear hatch closed again.

"Ok, I'm taking us up."

Sheppard throught the Jumper felt a little sluggish now that it had all the extra weight in the back. However, it still flew and that was the main thing.

He guided the Jumper over the top of the fire and after discussing tactics with the rescue team over the radio, he opened the rear hatch and let the water drain out onto the ground. Smoke and steam rose from the area as the fire stuttered out briefly.

After ten precious minutes and five trips to douse the flames, they were beginning to dissipate. Zelenka cried out in surprise and smiled.

"I… Colonel… I'm detecting a life sign in the middle of the fire we just put out. It's very faint, but there's no mistaking it."

Sheppard's eyes widened, "Wow Rodney. If anyone was going to survive in the middle of that, it would just have to be you." _Trust McKay to stubbornly cling onto life even in the midst of that howling inferno._ He grinned as he dropped another compartment-full of water over the area with the life sign.

The rescue team had been watching Sheppard's progress on the HUD of the other Jumper and they gave the all clear to move in and help Rodney after the sixth trip. Sheppard kept running sorties back and forth from the sea to put out the last of the fires and make sure they did not start again.

* * *

There was a reverberating knocking and a hissing sound. The hissing remained constant, but the knocking was intermittent.

There was also a hideous metallic taste and a sense of all-enveloping numbness.

As the sounds became louder, the numbness began to fade into a smarting sensation.

Then, as pain began to blossom across his entire body, Rodney's brain began to associate sounds and sensations with what they were.

He kept his eyes closed and turned his head to the side as he spat out a massive mouthful of blood. He cringed at the taste and then winced as his neck protested at the movement. He took in a harsh gasp of breath and fought down the urge to retch. It did not feel as though any part of him was not screaming out in agony.

The hissing sound stopped and a much louder bang and slight scraping sound assaulted Rodney's ears. Memories of fire and the inevitability of a hideous death played through his mind.

"_But hissing?"_ He thought, _"Fire makes more of a crackling sound. Am I still alive anyway?"_

He could take the suspense no longer and forced his eyes open.

He was met by a strange view. The Jumper cockpit was on the ceiling, the chairs were fortunately nailed firmly to the floor, so did not fall on him as he gazed up at them.

He blinked as the hissing started again and he localised the source of the sound. He shifted a little to turn towards the bulkhead door. As he moved a bright and encircling pain tore through his pelvis and he groaned and closed his eyes with his brow furrowed. He thought he had felt something slicing him inside as he moved.

He opened his eyes again after a minute and looked at the door. The hissing continued and he could now make out an orange light moving down one side of the door. It was moving to connect with the final corner of a large black square marked out on his side of the door.

He thought he heard someone speaking and recognized the familiar accent. He sighed.

"Carson, is that you?" His voice sounded reedy and weak; barely audible even in his own ears.

"Rodney? Try not to move, we're getting you out of here."

He gritted his teeth and muttered, "Could have told me that a minute ago. Oh.. ow… that really hurts."

There was a deep pain inside his lower abdomen, which throbbed and bit with every heartbeat. He could feel his rapid pulse hammering in his neck as his heart struggled to continue beating. Soon the agony began to diminish once more and Rodney panicked as he knew this was a very bad sign. He closed his eyes and exhaled a small puff of air.

His tenuous grip to consciousness then faded away entirely. The last thing he was aware of was a very loud scraping noise and a ringing bang as something landed on the deck.

* * *

Dr Beckett and his team stood impatiently around as the rescue team doused the rear compartment of the Jumper with their extinguishers. Once it was cool and safe enough to enter they moved towards the bulkhead sealing off the cockpit. They grabbed their gear and began burning a hole through the door to gain access.

Beckett looked at his scanner and noted that Rodney was still alive, though barely. He also seemed to be right at the front of the Jumper, so that made it safe for the rescue crew to cut away the door.

He went over with them and banged on the side of the door with his fist and called through, "Rodney? Can you hear me?"

There was no reply.

He kept banging on the door until one of the rescue crew pushed him out of the way.

"Hey!" he said indignantly, "If he can hear us…"

He heard a soft voice coming through the door as the rescue team glared at him.

He pried away the pushing hands and leant close to the door, "Rodney? Try not to move, we're getting you out of here."

He thought he heard a mumbled reply, but the hissing of the cutting tools blocked it out. He moved out of the way as they attached handles to the door. He instead turned to the scanner again and was shocked to see the life sign was getting dimmer.

With a loud scraping sound of metal protesting against metal, the rescue team pulled the new door they had made away and the med team could finally get to work.

Beckett ducked down to avoid hitting his head on the chairs, which had become the new ceiling and went over to where Rodney lay unconscious.

He quickly checked pulse and breathing, both were there but very weak. He frowned as he noted burns on the backs of Rodney's arms, legs and head.

He could not easily see any other external injuries, but Rodney's fair skin was cold to touch and he still seemed to be gradually slipping away.

He organised his team to cut away Rodney's clothes and he studied the man's pale form. He saw dark bruises across his forearms, legs, chest and torso. Apart from the bruising there did not seem to be anything visible causing Rodney's condition to deteriorate. Carson would need to get him on the scanner to see where the problem was.

The med team efficiently and quickly bound up the worst of the burns and inserted IV lines into both of his arms. He did not seem to be having any trouble breathing, so they laid an oxygen mask over his face. Carson checked his back and neck alignment and gave the all clear for the med team to gently, keeping movement to a minimum, lay him on a backboard and then transfer him to a stretcher. They put his neck in a brace and covered him with a blanket strapping him securely on the stretcher.

Carson guided them outside holding the IV bags above his head as he went. The rescue team were standing by with their extinguishers ready, just in case any fire reignited.

Beckett sighed in relief when he saw that Colonel Sheppard had landed his Jumper very close to the crash site. It looked like he had crushed several burnt and spindly trees to make a new clearing. The other Jumper was a good walk away and time was fast running out for Rodney.

The team went into the rear compartment, ignoring the damp walls and dripping ceiling as they monitored Rodney. Sheppard slammed the rear hatch closed and flew them back to Atlantis at top speed.

* * *

Carson was shocked and very worried when they finally got Rodney under the scanner. He was clinging to life by his fingertips and his blood pressure had become dangerously low. He noted that a majority of the visible bruises and burns were superficial, but the worst injury, which was causing all the problems, was a pelvic fracture. As Rodney had shifted, it had cut into some of his organs like a knife and he had very serious internal bleeding.

Carson sighed as he set to work performing surgery to repair the damage.

It was many hours before he was satisfied that the damage was repaired and he moved Rodney into the intensive care unit. He quickly spoke to the rest of Rodney's team and gave them the low-down on his condition. He then told them to come back later as it would be a while before Rodney was strong enough to have visitors.

* * *

It was several days before Rodney woke up. Carson had put him on a ventilator for the first day to make sure he kept breathing.

Sheppard sat next to him, as he had done for many hours each day. Teyla, Ronon, Weir and Zelenka had also come to visit.

Sheppard saw Rodney's eyes crack open slightly and then close again. There was no fooling him though.

"You know you wrote off that Jumper, Rodney?"

McKay groaned and opened his eyes fully to look at him.

Sheppard continued, "Apart from the cockpit, it's completely burnt out. I doubt whether we'll be able to salvage anything useful."

Rodney smiled weakly, his face was still pale and he grimaced as he felt a faint trace of drug-repressed pain through his hips.

"I'm sure Radek will find something," he mumbled.

Sheppard gave Rodney a conspirational look and raised his eyebrows, "Oh that reminds me; I caught Dr Kavanagh in a heated debate with Dr Zelenka the other day. Just after we brought you back actually. I thought it was due to the rescue, tensions were running pretty high, but now I'm not so sure..."

Rodney blinked slowly and looked a little annoyed when Sheppard stopped, "What is it John?"

"I heard that Zelenka and Kavanagh had a bet on you."

Rodney did not look too surprised but his face fell a little.

"Zelenka seemed to be accusing Kavanagh of doing something to the Jumper so that he could win his bet. Radek thinks that Kavanagh rigged the engines somehow. It may not have been his intention to destroy one of them, but you know how he is."

Rodney gave him a knowing and exasperated look. The inept scientist was frequently making mistakes that took McKay and the rest of his team hours to fix.

Sheppard spoke again, "Maybe he only wanted to slow the Jumper down or make it lose control slightly so that you would be forced to give up."

"He should know that I don't give up on anything once I set my mind to it."

"Yes, well I certainly know about that," Sheppard smiled again.

"Is there any evidence for his accusation?"

"Unfortunately not. Zelenka says he has been working on a way to reconstruct the Jumper logs and operating system, but the crystals were too badly melted and warped to retain any data."

"When I get out of here, I'll have a look too." Rodney started to fall asleep again.

Sheppard leaned over, "You just concentrate on getting better first, and don't go and tell Zelenka or Weir about this until we have some proof."

"That's fine Colonel," Rodney said sleepily, "I'm sure I'll be able to find something…"

* * *

A/N – A race of some type was one of the first ideas I had, but it's taken a very long time to form it into a story (and I kept getting interrupted by other plotlines)

Everything I know about medicine, I learnt from Wikipedia… (I have basic first aid training but that's it!)

Please let me know what you think! x Varda x


	13. The Crushing Depths

Disclaimer – the usual

Set after and spoilers for 'Submersion'

It has been pointed out to me that Jumpers can also go underwater…

**The Crushing Depths**

The outside world in the windscreen got darker and darker until the visible murk turned into nothing but inky blackness.

Rodney kept his eyes firmly glued to the screen of his tablet and tried to ignore the fact that thousands of tons of water where now resting on the Puddle Jumper's shield.

He still had trouble calming his nerves and claustrophobia whenever he was underwater in a Jumper.

He studied the energy readings from the Jumper's scans of the planet. There was a huge signature coming from the seabed.

Sheppard brought up the HUD, "We're getting close," he said.

The Jumper's lights shone through the darkness. There was nothing for them to land on, so all they could see were millions of pinpricks of light as the brightness reflected off tiny sea creatures in the water.

After a few minutes they reached the bottom of the abyss. Sheppard pointed the lights down onto the ground and illuminated rocks and boulders along the seabed.

He flew the Jumper a few metres off the ground and guided it towards the ever-growing energy reading.

McKay looked up from his tablet out of the window, "We should enter visual range very soon."

As he spoke, a huge and obviously artificial structure materialised into existence through the gloom directly in front of them.

"It can't be…" Sheppard began.

"Yes it is. It's just like the one we found on Lantea. Although according to these readings this platform is active and there are life signs within."

The drilling platform was not as deep underwater as the one they had found tapping into the geothermal energy on Lantea.

"Do you think there could be Ancients on the platform?"

McKay replied in irritation, "I don't think that's very likely, Colonel, after ten thousand years. Why wouldn't they have fled to Earth with all the other Ancients?"

"I don't know, maybe they got trapped on the platform?"

"And what have they been eating for the last few millennia?"

Sheppard sighed and looked annoyed, "Well, why don't we just dock and ask them?"

Sheppard pressed the comm, "This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard to drilling platform. Please respond."

There was no reply.

"Is there anyone there?"

Still silence.

Sheppard deactivated the comm and turned to Rodney, "Looks like no-one's figured out how to work the radio yet."

McKay's eyes widened in realisation, "Or maybe they don't want to answer."

Sheppard flew the Jumper across the docking ports, the headlights casting eerie shadows out into the unseen void of the ocean around them. Attached to one of the ports was a vessel of some kind. It was large and black and had several round holes at the front.

"Looks a bit like a mini U-Boat," Sheppard said raising his eyebrows.

Rodney frowned as he studied the readings, "It has a very thick hull; the sensors are unable to penetrate it and find out how large the submarine is and what kind of power it uses."

Sheppard turned the Jumper around when they reached the edge of the platform and headed towards the docking port next to the submarine. He expertly reversed it into the port and powered down the engines.

"Ok, let's see who's at home." He got up and clipped a P90 to the front of his tac vest.

Rodney hesitantly rose to his feet too and slid his laptop onto the back of his tac vest. He grabbed a hand scanner and studied the readings. He frowned after a second and swapped it to his left hand so that he could grab the trigger of his P90 loosely with his right hand.

"I'm detecting a welcoming party converging on the Jumper," he said.

"Well that's good. Let's hope they _can_ talk."

Sheppard went to the back hatch and opened the door. He had just opened his mouth to speak when a blast of blue energy flew towards and enveloped him. He crashed onto the deck unconscious.

Rodney's eyes flew wide open in panic and he tried to raise his P90. He saw their assailants for a brief second. They were all very thin and pale and clothed in brown rags. Another stunner blast hit him square in the chest and he grunted and crumpled onto the deck next to Sheppard.

* * *

Rodney awoke to someone tugging at his shoulder and speaking.

"Get up McKay. We need to get out of here."

Rodney groaned and squinted his eyes. His blurry vision showed him a black figure with spiky hair pointing every which way, even more than usual.

"What happened John?" He said, sitting up and rubbing his sore head.

"The denizens of this little community decided to shoot first and ask questions later."

"Because that doesn't happen very often," Rodney said sarcastically as Sheppard helped him to his feet. They had both lost their tac vests and weapons.

They were standing in one of the rooms Sheppard recognised as crew quarters. It was nicer than the rooms they had found in the drilling platform on Lantea. The lights were bright and there were colourful drapes hanging from the ceiling. There were also several large paintings stuck on the walls. Some depicted sweeping landscapes and others showed blue skies with small white clouds.

"Windows?" McKay said taking in their surroundings.

"Doesn't look like it works very well," Sheppard said staring at what was once an image of a forest. There was alien writing scrawled across the picture in a dark brown ink. Sheppard did not want to voice his fears at what it said or what kind of ink it looked like had been used.

Rodney followed his gaze and was suddenly afraid, "Oh my! We _definitely_ have to get out of here."

He walked over to the door panel. The people living on the platform probably could not figure out any other way of securing prisoners, so had not reckoned on Rodney's skills at door opening. He rearranged a few crystals and the door swished open.

Sheppard gently pushed Rodney aside as he moved to leave the room first. Sheppard warily stepped out into the corridor and looked both ways. Seeing the way was clear he indicated for Rodney to follow and keep quiet.

They stalked down the corridor, keeping as low as possible and staying against the wall.

They turned a corner, Sheppard still in front.

A voice came down the corridor, "Hey! How did you get out?" Sheppard turned to run back the way they had come, but before he could escape, a stunner blast hit him in the back and he fell down.

Rodney let out a squeak in terror and ran back along the corridor towards the makeshift cell they had come from. He thought he was making good progress until a stunner blast hit him in the legs. Suddenly they went numb and turned into rubber. He flew forwards, hit the ground and slid for a few metres. He was terribly winded and his arms hurt as he had used them to cushion the fall. Still conscious he rolled over and looked at the person who had shot him.

The man stood over him, pointing the stunner at his chest. He had a hard expression and looked very angry. Rodney thought he could see the bones through the man's thin skin, like he had not eaten for weeks. The brown rags hung over his shoulders and left gaps across his chest. McKay could see ribs poking out in the shadows.

Rodney put his hands up by his head in surrender. The man crouched down, his knees popped as they protested through lack of muscle to support him. Despite his apparent frailty he pushed the blaster point hard into Rodney's side as he studied him.

Rodney squirmed a little under the gaze and the closeness of the man. He could make out his skeletal features more clearly as he got closer.

The man spoke in a harsh voice, which seethed hatred, "Who are you? How did you get here?"

He punctuated each question with a sharp jab of the blaster into Rodney's side.

McKay gritted his teeth, "I'm Dr Rodney McKay and my unconscious friend over there is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. Who are you?"

The man lessened the pressure of the stun gun and squinted into Rodney's face. McKay had to look away after a few seconds, as he could no longer stand the piercing glare. The eyes of the man looked like they were the only flesh on him.

Sensing Rodney's disgust the man spoke again, "I am Isan. You came here uninvited and you could easily betray our position to the Wraith. We cannot let you leave."

Rodney turned back to Isan, "We just came to investigate the power reading. We have no intention of telling the Wraith about you." He looked Isan up and down critically, "They probably wouldn't be interested anyway."

Isan opened his mouth in fury and backhanded Rodney across the face with the stunner. McKay tasted blood from his split lip and grimaced.

Isan stood up and pulled the trigger of the stunner. Rodney's body tensed and then went limp as the blue light rolled over him and he joined Sheppard in blissful oblivion.

* * *

Rodney groaned as he woke up, _"Not again,"_ he thought as he felt hands pawing at his face.

"Sheppard?" He tried to say through the gag; it just came out as 'he-hu.'

The touch on his face left and he heard someone moving away. He was lying on his side on the floor. His arms and legs bound and immobilised. He opened his eyes and found he could not see anything as he was also blindfolded.

A female spoke softly, she sounded very young, "I am Kiri. My father doesn't know I'm here. He's mean. I watched as he tied you and your friend up. Maybe you can help us? We've been stuck down here ever since the Wraith came."

Rodney tried to speak again but he only produced an unintelligible mumble.

He felt the hands on his face again as they pulled the gag out of his mouth. He coughed a couple of times and inhaled a sharp breath as the motion jarred his numb shoulder pressed on the floor.

"What happened?"

"We used the underwater ship to get here. We found this place years before the Wraith came. Knowing they would eventually return, we moved supplies here to last for months. This is now our second year."

Rodney's brain clicked into gear, "Two years? Can't you get back to the mainland?"

"No, our ship is broken."

She began touching and pressing his face again. The hands felt small and cold.

McKay felt uncomfortable and said hotly, "What's with the touching?"

The hands moved away again, "I'm sorry! Everyone here's so bony. You feel all squishy," the voice was sad and dejected. It sounded even younger.

McKay steeled himself, "How old are you?"

"I'm in my eighth year."

Rodney let out a slow sigh, he would have to use his patience to get out this and it was always in such short supply, "Okay, can you untie me?"

"I don't know. I'd better not, my father would go mad and hurt you again."

"Look, if you free me, I can probably fix your ship and then you can all get out of here and become…'squishy.'" He tried to say it kindly, but as usual it sounded insulting and patronising.

He was lucky though and felt the knot on the back of the blindfold loosening. As it fell away, he saw a mop of blond matted hair with a small girl hiding underneath. She was also dressed in the same rags like her father and looked painfully thin and malnourished. As he looked he smiled grimly in thanks. He saw that he was in another of the crew quarter's rooms. The walls had similar pictures of open-air vistas. There was no sign of Sheppard.

She walked round behind him and undid the ropes around his wrists. He sighed in relief and his arms clicked as he moved them to free his legs.

Kiri stepped away and watched him working his numb and shaking hands trying to untie the knot. He was not having any success.

She saw him struggling and walked over and undid the knot.

"Er, thanks. I don't suppose you've seen another grown up around with messy hair?"

She raised her eyebrows and pouted at his tone, "Yes. We're going to see him next. I hope he's nicer than you."

McKay groaned as he got to his feet and rolled his shoulders a couple of times to get the feeling back.

He felt a clammy hand grip his and pull him towards the door. He let out a bone weary sigh and followed Kiri through the door.

She dragged him along the corridor slowly. She kept stopping and listening and then moving forward again. Rodney was getting more annoyed and was about to say something when they reached another door. Kiri reached up and opened it.

Sheppard was lying on the floor just as McKay had been. Kiri stayed away as Rodney roused Sheppard and untied the ropes.

"Hey Rodney," he said sleepily, "Did I get stunned again?"

"You and me both."

"How did you get free?"

"Had a little help," he emphasized the 'little' as Sheppard saw Kiri and smiled.

McKay filled Sheppard in with the details as he rubbed his ankles and wrists to get the feeling back.

"So if we fix the ship they'll be able to get back to the mainland?"

"Yes, that about sums it up. The only problem we have is with 'shoots a lot' Isan and who knows what the others are like after being stuck in this place for two years." Rodney whispered, "You saw the writing on that painting too, it looked like blood."

Kiri heard him though and came over, she was pale and frightened, "You're right. There were a hundred, until the madness came. My father said that the madness took away sixty. There are now only twenty and we're all hungry."

She patted her stomach and winced.

Sheppard spoke, "If you take us to the ship, we'll fix it. You'll have to help if Isan finds us though. We'll fix it if he let's us go."

Kiri beamed, her face filled with hope, "You got it."

She led them out of the room and they made their cautious way through the corridors to the ship. Kiri told them that no-one bothered going anywhere near the ship anymore, as they knew it was broken. They therefore got there unchallenged.

* * *

Rodney studied the interior of the submarine. It was very similar to an Earth one. It looked like about twenty people could fit inside. Without his equipment he could not find out what was wrong with it. It seemed to be run on electricity. It was lit by emergency lighting and the engines were powered off.

He convinced Sheppard and Kiri to take him back to the Jumper to collect some of his gear.

They all walked up to the side of the Jumper. Suddenly Isan walked out of the hatch with his stunner trained on the three of them. Two equally pasty henchmen came out of the Jumper and stood behind him.

Sheppard stepped forward and raised his hands, "Let us fix your ship and you can go back to the mainland."

Isan narrowed his eyes, "Really?"

Rodney leaned over and spoke in Sheppard's ear, "I'm not sure whether I'll be able to fix it yet John."

Sheppard muttered a reply out of the corner of his mouth, "You'll do it McKay, you always do."

Isan watched and then he lowered his gun quickly when he spotted Kiri as she pushed between them.

"Father, let them help us! Then we can go back to the sun." She smiled and ran over to hug him.

Isan's expression softened as much as it could with his face being just skin stretched over bones. Hope seemed to kindle in his eyes.

"Alright. I suppose it won't hurt for them to try. But you," he pointed to Sheppard, "Stay out here." He turned to McKay; "If you try anything…" he waved the stunner around threateningly.

Rodney swallowed and went into the Jumper. He grabbed a few spare power crystals and some leads he thought the Jumper could spare.

They were then all marched back to the stricken submarine.

Rodney worked on the submarine power system, muttering and complaining. He eventually managed to rig up a system to transfer power to the engines from the Jumper power crystals.

"Ha!" He said triumphantly after a couple of hours, "We have power."

Sheppard was sitting on the floor in the corridor outside. Isan and Kiri were with him. The other two guards were lying down, apparently asleep, too weak to continue their watch.

McKay came out of the submarine and went over to Isan, "OK, I fixed it. Can we leave now?"

Isan glared at him, "No you can't leave! You know far too much and you'll lead the Wraith right to us."

Isan turned his back on Sheppard and he spoke to Rodney.

He silently stood up and easily grabbed the stunner from the weak man's hand as he pointed it at McKay when he spoke.

He swept his foot under Isan's legs and used his hands to lower him slowly to the floor as he fell.

"Sorry Kiri. We have to go now."

She looked sad as she watched them running away back to the Jumper. Rodney thought he saw her mouthing, "Thank you," when he turned back to check on Isan.

Isan got up to his feet and prodded the other guards to wake up. He told Kiri to go back to her room.

* * *

Sheppard and McKay ran back to the Jumper as fast as they could. There were no more guards anywhere and Sheppard slammed the hatch shut as soon as they got on board.

They sat down in their seats, Sheppard fired the engines and undocked them from the drilling platform.

Rodney let out an exasperated sigh, "Honestly, Colonel, you try to help people…"

He trailed off as the Jumper rocked to the left.

Sheppard frowned and brought up the HUD. Now that the submarine had power back, Isan was using it to hunt and attack them, trying to prevent their escape.

The Jumper rolled to the side again.

McKay was glaring at the HUD, "Really! Looks like some kind of electric depth charge. We should just blast the sub and leave them down here in their misery."

"Rodney! What about Kiri?"

McKay sighed and rubbed a hand on his forehead. Sheppard was right. These people were just scared and probably slightly mad through starvation and from being trapped on the drilling platform without daylight for so long. Rodney had given the submarine enough power for a hundred trips to and from the mainland.

Sheppard was climbing the Jumper through the water as fast as it could safely go. It would still take several minutes before they broke the surface.

The Jumper rocked again and there was a sound of creaking metal.

"Shields?" Sheppard asked.

McKay studied the HUD and his eyes widened, "The depth charges are disrupting it. I don't know where these people got this technology!"

Sheppard shot him a scathing look; "Maybe they stole it from the Ancients, like us. Does it really matter? Just get the shield to work until we're away."

"I'll need to reroute some power from other systems."

He got up and went into the rear compartment. Grabbing the overhead rack as the inertial dampeners strained against another impact.

He pulled down the control panel and started swapping the crystals around. He was nearly finished when the hull of the Jumper gave way under the latest assault. A breach formed and a high pressure jet of water sprayed into the rear compartment through the hole. It hissed loudly as it came through and the Jumper began filling with water.

It hit Rodney and he cried out as it cut a bruising swath across his body, from his leg, up his chest and towards his head. He was forced back into the opposite wall and felt the bench against the backs of his legs. He put his hand up to protect his face. He saved his head, but his fingers splayed out from the pressure and he screamed as he felt some of them bend too far and break.

He breathed quickly and moved out of the path of the jet. Water was lapping around his ankles and ever rising. He cradled his damaged and bleeding hand against his chest.

"Rodney!" Sheppard called from the cockpit.

"Ow ow ow," he replied with his eyes watering and closed tightly in agony. He felt battered and broken.

He shifted his weight forward and painfully stepped back to the control panel, the water was up to his knees now. He gritted his teeth and used his uninjured hand to finished rerouting the power.

The water flooding into the Jumper stopped instantly. He hobbled back into the cockpit and gasped as he sat down in the co-pilot's seat.

Sheppard looked over at him and his expression changed to one of worry when he saw Rodney's mangled hand.

"Hang in there Rodney, just a few more seconds."

McKay closed his eyes and took deep breaths as his bruises and broken fingers throbbed. He was dimly aware through the blanket of pain hanging over him, when the darkness through the window lightened into daylight. It found it's way through his eyelids and he opened them slightly.

"Home we go," he said sadly.

Sheppard gave him a reassuring look, "Don't worry Rodney, Keller'll be able to fix it."

"Have you seen it Colonel! I'll never be able to use my hand again. I'll have to dictate to Zelenka! Can you imagine; all the ideas, but I can't type them out fast enough with one hand. Next time we're attacked by the Wraith and I have the usual impossible deadline to save everyone. We'll all look a bit stupid trying to stop them by one-finger typing!"

"Rodney! It's only a couple of broken fingers. You'll be _fine_."

"_Only_ broken fingers! I'll be lucky if I don't bleed to death inside before we get back."

Sheppard started to look worried, "What?"

"Well you know, massive bruising, internal bleeding, the like," his face was screwed up in pain.

"We're nearly there now."

Rodney passed out and slumped forward onto the control panel just as they passed through the gate on the planet.

* * *

Sheppard half flooded the Jumper Bay when he opened the hatch. The waiting medical team shouted out in alarm and indignation as the salty water washed over their feet.

Sheppard paid no attention and urgently beckoned them over to Rodney.

They loaded him onto a gurney and took him away. Sheppard followed them to the infirmary.

Keller pushed him out of the way while they lay Rodney on the scanner. As the infirmary staff worked, Ronon, Teyla and Carter joined Sheppard.

"What happened?" Carter asked.

"We had a run in with some of the locals. I'll tell you all about it in the debriefing. Let's just say that McKay got a little too close to a high-pressure water jet. He got hurt saving both our asses… as usual."

Teyla frowned, "He should be more careful."

Keller came over to them after she finished setting, splinting and binding Rodney's broken fingers. They wheeled him out of the way to continue working.

"He'll be fine," she said smiling, "He has some severe bruising, but nothing that a few day's rest won't heal. No need for us to open him up. The breaks in his hand were all clean and should heal to be as good as new."

They all breathed out in relief and Keller hounded them out of the infirmary, with the reassurance, "I'll call you when he wakes up."

* * *

Sheppard caught up with Rodney in his lab later in the week. He was one finger typing with his left hand, hammering on the keys in frustration. His right hand was thickly bound up in bandages and in a sling.

"This is so annoying," he said without looking up.

Sheppard frowned, "What's wrong?"

"The whole typing thing. Keller says it will be a while before I can use my hand again. I told you it would cause problems."

"Well you did suggest Zelenka… it probably won't be that long and Keller did say they'd heal perfectly."

"I also have a less than amusing black line of bruising across myself as well. Makes it difficult to move… and breathe," he winced as he took a deep breath and sighed to illustrate his point.

Sheppard put a hand on his shoulder, "It was worth it though. I know Isan wasn't particularly grateful, but at least Kiri will be alright. I'm sure the others will come round when they feel the sun on their faces again.

"Maybe we should visit them again in a few months. Give them a chance to cool down. See how they are."

Rodney snorted and lay his left hand on the bruised side of his chest as it hurt, "Yes we can dodge stun blasts and depth charges and shout out of the Puddle Jumper: 'How are you?' 'Do you feel less trigger happy this time?' That should be an exciting reunion. Hope you don't mind if I opt out of that one."

Sheppard laughed and shook his head in exasperation. He grabbed Rodney's free arm and dragged him to the mess hall to meet up with Teyla and Ronon for lunch.

* * *

A/N – that one spun out a bit more than I had intended. Whoopsy – hope you liked it! x Varda x


	14. Escape Velocity

Disclaimer – See previous

I knew that astronomy module I took at Uni would come in handy one day…

**Escape Velocity**

"Where is the second sun?" Teyla asked as the Jumper flew through empty space towards a star.

McKay studied his tablet, "The Ancient database stated that they were researching and analysing data from this binary system. I suspect the other star is currently eclipsed by the one we can see ahead."

Sheppard brought up the HUD. The image was distorted and blinked red. It was only able to show their current location.

"Rodney…"

McKay waved his hand in the air impatiently and kept staring at the tablet, "Don't worry about it. There's some unusual radiation in this system. It's messing with the sensors. Just keep the shields up."

Ronon frowned, "They'll protect us, right?"

"Probably."

"McKay!"

"Look," he turned to face Sheppard, "We're just here to collect some data to analyse. I won't make us stay if it becomes dangerous.

"I suggest we proceed to this location," he entered the co-ordinates into the navigation system, "We should be able to get a view of both the stars there."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows and pointed the Jumper at the location indicated.

After a few minutes, they were able to see the other star. It was oddly distorted and there was a large plume of material being pulled from it's neighbour through space.

Teyla gazed at the sight and asked, "What is happening?"

Rodney sighed in frustration at the confusing data running up the screen of his tablet and joined the others in looking out of the window. The Jumper was still in motion and they were getting closer to the place McKay thought would offer the best location to try and run some scans.

"The larger star is pulling material from the other one as it has a higher gravitational field. But this can't be right…"

He trailed off and looked at his tablet again, "The sensors either aren't working properly or we're in serious trouble."

Ronon shifted in his seat impatiently, "If we're in trouble, let's get out of here."

They all stared at the oddly squashed star. The trail of debris being pulled from the other star was slowly swirling around in a large vortex.

Sheppard frowned at McKay, "What is it Rodney?"

His eyes widened in panic when he announced, "I think it's a black hole."

"What's that?" Ronon asked.

Rodney raised his chin and folded his arms looking superior as he swivelled around to face Ronon and Teyla. "It's where the mass of an object reaches such an extent that it collapses in on itself. Drawing in everything nearby."

Ronon looked at him blankly. Teyla nodded slowly and furrowed her brow in concentration.

His eyes shone in excitement and he waved his hands around in wild gestures as he spoke, "Larger masses have higher gravity. Eventually a mass can become so heavy that it will be impossible for anything to reach escape velocity, even light."

McKay turned back to the view out of the window and looked at the stars with the bizarre tether between them. "The larger star must have pulled material from the other one until it reached a sufficient mass to create a black hole."

Ronon said, "So… if we get too close, we'll be pulled in."

Rodney nodded triumphantly, "That's probably why the sensors aren't working properly."

Sheppard asked, "Are we safe here?"

"According to the Ancient database; they built a space station to record all the data, which is where we're heading."

* * *

A few minutes later they reached the location of the Ancient space station according to the database. There was nothing there.

McKay mumbled as he read over the entry again and double checked the co-ordinates.

"It should be here," he said sounding annoyed and insulted, "Unless…"

His voice rose in panic, "Stop the Jumper Colonel! Take us back to the gate."

Sheppard asked, "OK, what's going on."

Rodney closed his eyes slowly and rubbed his face. He then started feverishly typing on his tablet.

Sheppard put the Jumper into full reverse thrust to stop and turn. The Jumper slowed down substantially but still continued to drift towards the collapsed star.

"Oh crap!" Rodney exclaimed.

"Why are we still moving towards the star?" Teyla asked.

McKay looked up at them, his eyes showed thinly veiled fear, "We're too close. The space station must have already been pulled in."

Ronon said, "But we've got engines, can't we just fly out?"

Sheppard put the engines on maximum burn. He could still see the craft inexorably slipping towards the black hole in front of them.

"It's not working Rodney, we need more power to the engines."

McKay's face and hands were sweaty as he watched their slow progress to a strange death. He reasoned that they would probably be pulled apart or vaporised by the material from the other star before they experienced the joy of falling into the black hole.

"I want you to keep transmitting this message back to Atlantis. They will eventually check up on us. Exactly when, I'm not sure as it seems that the laws of physics are no longer applying in the region."

He turned his tablet around and Sheppard looped it to broadcast continually towards the gate in text format.

* * *

Rodney got up from his seat. He suddenly felt very heavy and struggled to move as he went into the rear compartment. He lifted his arms with difficulty. It felt as though there were invisible lead weights attached to his hands. He re-routed non-essential power to the engines, being very careful not to overload them. He deactivated the drones and dialled the shields and inertial dampeners back as far as he could risk.

He was reaching up to slot the last crystal into place, when he found he could no longer lift his arm, it had become too heavy. He could also feel his knees beginning to buckle under the weight.

Rodney turned his head slowly as it was being compressed into his neck, to tell Sheppard to stop screwing around with the artificial gravity. He saw that Ronon, Teyla and Sheppard seemed to be frozen in place. He could hear a constant bass drone.

"Time dilation…" Rodney muttered as his knees gave way under the strain of the malfunctioning gravity plating. He dropped the crystal on the deck and landed on top of it, on his front.

He turned his head to the side and spread himself out as far as he could, making sure he had no limbs crossed. He felt the crystal digging in the side of his chest as the gravity increased even more.

"Sheppard! Help!" He whispered, unable to draw enough breath to get any volume.

Rodney contemplated trying to get his hand under himself to hook the crystal out, but he could not lift his hands or push himself up.

All the time the pressure on him increased as the gravity strengthened and pulled him down into the deck.

He gasped as all the air was forced from his lungs. He turned his head to the side and lay it down on the deck. It cut into the side of his face and felt as though it would only be a few more seconds before his head was crushed like a melon.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He could feel the sharp edge of the crystal pressing against his creaking ribs in an ever-increasing torment.

It felt as though there was a heavy hand pressing into the small of his back and pinning him to the ground. He could feel his blood pooling down towards his front nearest the deck. He felt his organs and heart being crushed as he fought to stay conscious and continue to breathe.

As the crystal was driven into his chest, Rodney felt a painful snapping sensation and heard a couple of sickening pops as it broke his ribs and imbedded itself in his chest.

"Ah…" he said in a quiet sigh and tried to wince and shudder in his agony. The gravity was now too high for him to move at all. He could feel a wet sensation as blood leaked out onto the deck underneath. He kept his eyes screwed tightly shut. He could feel them being driven from his sockets and hoped his eyelids would keep them in long enough for the time dilation-slowed Sheppard to notice what was happening.

He suddenly discovered that he no longer had the strength to draw another breath and his vision got darker as he lost his grip on consciousness. Then he was floating through the air and the agony faded to a dull throb.

* * *

Sheppard leaned back in his chair as Rodney slowly got to his feet and went into the back of the Jumper. He relaxed slightly. Rodney would be able to get them out of this, he always did.

Teyla leaned forward and spoke, "What if Rodney is unable to give the engines enough power for us to escape?"

Ronon said, "I'm sure it'll be alright. McKay can fix anything."

Sheppard turned around to look at them. He saw Rodney feverishly swapping crystals around in the rear compartment and frowned, he had never seen him working so quickly.

Sheppard was about to speak when the artificial gravity suddenly increased to a crushing extent. He saw Rodney fall over onto his front as he himself was pinned and pressed into his seat.

He painfully and slowly turned back to the control panel. Teyla and Ronon were both struggling to breathe and tried to raise their hands to soothe their heads as they were pulled towards the deck.

Sheppard roared in exertion as he lifted the dead weight of his hand and slammed it down on the control panel. He completely deactivated the artificial gravity and floated out of his seat. Teyla, Ronon and Sheppard all concentrated on breathing for a few seconds as they all drew in staggering breaths to compensate for the lack of oxygen for the last few crushing seconds.

Sheppard rolled himself around slowly in the weightless Jumper to check on Rodney.

He gasped in shock as he watched Rodney floating up from the deck. A line of bright red liquid was rapidly leaking out of a horrific wound on the side of his chest. It streamed out and hung in the air as gory floating blood bubbles. Sheppard could make out the edge of a control crystal imbedded in him.

As Sheppard watched, Rodney's eyes snapped open. What he saw next was unnerving. McKay seemed to be talking, but all that Sheppard could hear was a high-pitched noise, almost too high to be audible and he saw Rodney's mouth moving in an impossibly fast blur. He lifted his hands against the chest injury to try and stop the bleeding, but his movements were too fast to be humanly possible.

Sheppard pushed himself off and drifted into the rear compartment. As he approached Rodney, McKay's voice got lower until it was at a normal pitch.

"It's time dilation. The black hole must be pulling in time somehow." He closed his eyes and winced as another stream of blood came out of his chest into the already red droplet filled air all around him.

Sheppard looked incredulous, "It's screwing around with the sensors, the artificial gravity and now time?"

Rodney nodded grimly and choked as blood flowed up into his throat.

"Rodney! What did you do to yourself?" Sheppard asked as he examined the damage. The control crystal had been driven all the way into Rodney's chest. He could see white bone through all the blood where the skin was torn.

With nothing actually sticking out of the wound, Sheppard was able to wrap a pressure bandage around Rodney's chest. He did not press down on the injury, as that would cause only further damage.

Rodney furrowed his brow in pain, "Help me to the control crystal tray. I was nearly finished. I can't re-route the power I was going to as the crystal is now a part of me." As he spoke a trickle of blood came out of his mouth and joined the red-clouded atmosphere in the Jumper. The life support system was trying in vain to scrub the air clean.

Sheppard grabbed his waist and gently moved him over to the control crystal tray. Rodney swapped the last few crystals around, including the now defunct gravity circuit.

They then drifted back into the cockpit.

Teyla and Ronon sat up when they returned.

"That was fast," Ronon said.

"We've been working for about ten minutes," Sheppard said as he got Rodney as close to his seat as possible.

Teyla looked at McKay in concern. She had watched him in the rear compartment as the blood had quickly spread out from Rodney's injury in the weightless air. He was still leaking blood into the atmosphere, but it had slowed down and most was being absorbed into the bandage. His face was pale and he looked about ready to drop.

Rodney used a bloody hand to type on his tablet. He closed his eyes as his breathing shifted the dagger-like crystal in his ribcage. He ran some formulae and rearranged the power distribution.

"Okay, I'm finished," he said after a couple of minutes.

"And?"

"No no no no no! There's not nearly enough power for us to break away from the pull of the black hole. Although our approach has been slowed right down, we've probably only bought ourselves enough time for Atlantis to get our message."

Sheppard gave him a brave smile, "They'll get it, don't worry. We need some more options. Anyone?"

Rodney looked down at the deck in misery and put a hand on the bandage wrapped around him to try and lessen the pain, "We could finish routing the power from the drones, but…" his voice trailed off.

Sheppard looked at him and frowned as he thought. His eyes widened, as he realised, "No, Rodney. That would kill you."

"What are you talking about?" Ronon asked.

A look of horror passed across Teyla's face, she turned to Ronon, "They are talking about using the control crystal buried in Rodney's chest to finish giving the engines more power."

"I could pull it out," Ronon said.

Rodney flinched and put both his hands on the bandage protectively. He set his face in a look of grim determination and closed his eyes as he turned to Ronon, "Do it," he said as he moved his hands away.

Ronon began to move forward, but Sheppard quickly pushed himself off and shoved Ronon back into the wall away from Rodney.

He turned around to face McKay when he was sure Ronon was stopped. He spoke hotly, "No! I refuse to kill you to save my own ass. It's going to be all of us, or none of us." He pushed himself off the deck and flew back through the Jumper away from them. He raised his finger at Rodney and Ronon, "And I don't want to hear about it again. More options people."

Rodney turned back around and started running some calculations on his tablet.

Ronon spoke again after a minute, "Can we use a drone to get rid of it?"

McKay rolled his eyes, "That's always the only option with you isn't it? It probably wouldn't work."

Sheppard asked, "Why not?"

Rodney raised his hand and winced as more blood flowed out into the bandage, "We're dealing with highly theoretical physics here. Either nothing will happen or it'll rip a hole in the universe."

Ronon chuckled, "I thought you said it already was a hole."

Rodney frowned and raised his finger in annoyance, "Well since you seem to know so much, perhaps you should have a go at this incredibly complicated math."

Sheppard spoke, "What about using the pull of the black hole? We could accelerate towards it and loop around, using the extra speed to break free. Or we could go out the other side."

"Hmm," McKay said, "Well there are two problems with that idea, Colonel. First the gravitational shear would pull us apart as we tried to turn around. Secondly, the closer we get, the more radiation will leak through the hull. As it is, I have the shields on minimum protection as the spare power is being routed through our inadequate engines to make this death as slow and drawn out as possible."

Sheppard was annoyed, "So what's you big idea then?"

"I'm working on it Colonel."

Sheppard said, "Well while you're thinking, hopefully Atlantis has our message by now and help is on it's way."

* * *

They sat in the Jumper for a long time. Rodney's condition was deteriorating and he was really hurting. Sheppard changed his bandage a couple of times and gave him some painkillers and water.

No more ideas came to them until they received a message.

_This is Dr Zelenka, I'm with Major Lorne. We brought five Puddle Jumpers to assist. Hold on tight and we'll speak with you in a minute._

They all read the message. Teyla asked, "What do you think he has in mind?"

Rodney replied weakly, "I don't know, but I hope they don't all get trapped like us." He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

They were all still floating freely in the weightless Jumper. This was a small mercy for Rodney as there was no added pressure on his injury and he could float harmlessly in the air.

After a few minutes, there was a ringing metallic bang against the rear hatch.

* * *

Dr Weir called Dr Zelenka to the control room when she received the message from Sheppard.

_We are trapped in the pull of a black hole. Do not approach any closer than these co-ordinates. We are attempting to break free by routing more power to the engines. Lt Col John Sheppard._

Underneath the message was a series of numbers and formulae Weir could make no sense of.

Zelenka studied the data and frowned as he spoke, "I need to take this data and run it by the science team. Hopefully we'll come up with something."

Weir smiled and nodded, "Hurry, time is running out for them."

Zelenka grabbed the laptop and took it down to the lab.

He was only gone for ten minutes when he approached Dr Weir in the control room. He held his tablet out to show her what they had come up with.

She frowned as she looked at the diagram, "Is that even possible?"

Zelenka pushed up his glasses and spoke enthusiastically, "We believe that it is. We ran through the calculations and decided we need at least five Puddle Jumpers to make it work."

Weir looked up at Zelenka, "Okay, do it, but I'm going to have just one person on each Jumper. I will also be making it clear that this is a voluntary mission. The Daedalus is due in a few days. I'm going to ask them to divert to the system just in case you all get stuck."

* * *

Zelenka sat in the co-pilot's chair next to Major Lorne. He was running through the calculations again just to be sure.

There had been so many people show up in the Jumper Bay to help rescue Sheppard's team, Lorne had reluctantly been made to turn some of them away.

"Are you ready Doc?"

"Yes, we are approaching the position. If you start the manoeuvre now."

They could see the trail of gases through space from the star as it was slowly being pulled into a swirl around the black hole.

Lorne sent a message to the other Jumpers and they formed in a straight line. As the sensors were down, they had to rely on using their eyes.

"Okay, attach the grapples," Zelenka said looking up out of the Jumper windscreen.

Lorne sent another message and they heard a loud metallic bang as the Jumper behind latched its grapple onto the rear hatch.

"Okay, I have confirmation. We are all attached and being pulled towards the black hole slowly without engines."

Zelenka frowned at his tablet and looked out of the window again.

"They have moved closer to the black hole. We did think they might have. If we keep moving in this direction, we should come across them."

He was right; after a few minutes they saw a dark shadow growing across the bright debris around the black hole in the shape of the stricken Jumper.

Zelenka sent a message over to them and Lorne sent another one over to the chasing Jumpers.

The rearmost Jumper fired its engines and slowed them all down to the same speed as the target craft.

Lorne lined up his Jumper and fired the grapple into the rear hatch of Sheppard's Jumper.

He sent the all clear to the other Jumpers and they all fired their engines in turn until the combined pull of all six Jumpers had them inching away from the gravity field of the black hole.

"It's working!" Zelenka cried out in triumph.

Very soon they were all able to detach and fly back to the gate together.

* * *

Rodney called Sheppard to his quarters a couple of weeks later. He was still on light duties after his surgery to remove the control crystal inside his chest.

Sheppard frowned as he looked at Rodney's pale face, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes John, I _need_ to. I've been staring at it for the last week and it hurts every time I look."

They left his quarters and got in the transporter up to the Jumper Bay.

"Ronon was ready to kill you."

Rodney grimaced at the memory, "You don't know whether pulling it out would have killed me."

They left the transporter.

"Well it certainly took Carson a long time to repair all the damage. I don't think Ronon would have been so forgiving."

Rodney halted in the middle of the Jumper Bay and turned to Sheppard.

"I… uh… thanks for stopping him. I had no idea Zelenka would come up with a plan like that. I doubt whether the extra power would have let us escape anyway."

Sheppard looked into his face, "You're welcome Rodney. Just don't ask Ronon to do anything like that again, you know what he's like."

"Yes," Rodney's face cracked into a smile, "It looked like he was going to enjoy it too."

He started walking towards the Puddle Jumper and Sheppard followed.

As they went into the rear compartment, Rodney grabbed a control crystal out of his pocket and pulled down the overhead panel.

Sheppard watched the ritual in silence. He did not like the idea of having a Puddle Jumper in the bay, which was unable to fire drones. He had not mentioned this to Rodney.

McKay turned the crystal over in his hand. It looked so small; hard to believe it had nearly killed him. They had done a good job of cleaning it up. He could not see any blood on it, even in the grooves.

He sighed and slotted it back into place in the panel. He narrowed his eyes for a moment and then closed the panel.

He turned back to Sheppard and beamed, "Wow, I'm glad that's over with. Let's go and get some food."

"I'll call Teyla and Ronon to join us."

Rodney's face fell, "Ronon?"

"I know you've been avoiding him since they let you out of the infirmary. Anyway I'll be with you so I can stop him if he threatens to remove anything vital ever again."

"Uh…okay."

They walked out of the Jumper. Rodney turned back and looked around the interior. He frowned and shook his head as he trotted after Sheppard back to the transporter.

* * *

A/N – Would the grapple thing work? I'm not sure, but hell it's only a bit of fun!

Thanks for reading. Reviews are, as always, gratefully accepted! x Varda x


	15. Dangerous Waters

Disclaimer – The usual

Shark infested custard…

**Dangerous Waters**

"The entire planet is composed of water?" Sheppard asked as McKay ran some scans.

"Looks like it. There are no energy readings. I suggest we move on and survey the rest of the system. We can send a team of marine biologists back if they're interested."

The shining blue orb sat in front of them. White clouds swirled across the northern hemisphere in a large storm front. There were other sporadic clouds scattered across the surface. Sheppard thought it looked like a large marble hanging in space. He laughed softly.

"What is it?" McKay snapped.

"Oh, nothing." Sheppard brought up the HUD and studied the readings.

He noticed a large number of life signs swimming around in the water. He zoomed the scan range into a small area to see how many there were. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the scale of the area.

"Hey Rodney, look at the size of that!"

McKay looked up at the HUD. His eyes widened, as he looked at the creature underwater on the planet below.

"Whoa, that looks like it's about fifty metres long."

"Let's go check it out."

Rodney shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "That's not really why we're here, Colonel. Our mission is to 'run scans and look for possible power sources.' We can send a team out later to look at these, uh…sea monsters."

"Our mission is also the check out anything of interest and we can gather more detailed scans closer to the surface."

McKay was still squirming and protesting.

Sheppard said, "If we have a look I promise we don't have to go underwater. We'll be fine. Looks like it could be a good future fishing spot. Put a dinghy in the back of the Jumper, inflate and go."

McKay rolled his eyes, "Alright, but let's be quick, there are still ten more planets to survey and it's nearly lunchtime."

"Feel like sushi?"

Rodney groaned and looked back down at the data on his tablet.

* * *

Sheppard flew the Jumper over the sea towards the massive life sign they had been tracking. He now had a much clearer reading and he was looking at the HUD with McKay.

Sheppard saw a schematic of the creature, "Looks like a giant shark or whale."

Rodney squinted at the images, "It has unusually large jaws. Perhaps it would be better to send a team of palaeontologists as well as the marine biologists. It's similar to some of the fish from Earth's Cretaceous period."

Sheppard skimmed the Jumper closer to the water as they got nearer.

"Hey, can't you fly a little higher? We don't want to give that monster a chance to snack on tinned humans!"

Sheppard sighed at Rodney's nervousness, but he increased the Jumper's altitude.

When they were directly above the creature, Sheppard glided the Jumper slowly in time with it as it swam below the surface. He rolled it over so that they could clearly see it through the window. Rodney still did not like it when Sheppard did that, as he felt like he should be falling towards the planet, but the artificial gravity kept him firmly sat in his seat.

They saw a grey mass under the water. It had huge fins, which seemed to be out of proportion in comparison with Earth based sea life. It lazily flapped them up and down slowly as its tail waved backwards and forwards, easily propelling it forward through the water at a fair lick.

After a couple of minutes of inverted flying, Rodney began to feel nauseous. He was about to ask Sheppard to fly the Jumper properly when the sea creature disappeared as it dived down.

Sheppard stopped the Jumper and hovered it. He watched the HUD as he saw the creature turning back up towards them. He thought it may be winding up to come above the surface so he turned the Jumper up the right way.

Rodney breathed a sigh of relief and swallowed down his nausea.

Sheppard was about to raise the Jumper when the sea creature broke through the surface. He had been hovering the Jumper fairly high in the air, but the monster had built up an incredible speed as it pushed itself through the water.

The creature rose up into the air, its huge and powerful mouth wide open. It grabbed the Puddle Jumper in its teeth and pulled them down and under the water. A huge splash spread out and upwards high into the air as it landed sideways on the surface.

Rodney began to hyperventilate as the jaws clamped around the Jumper. It had caught them so that they were facing into the creature and they had a tasteful view on its insides as it dragged them down. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly through his nose.

Sheppard had tried to activate the shield on instinct soon after the creature's teeth sank into the metal. But it was too late. The monster had damaged the emitters and it still had a tight hold on the craft as they were carried along in the creature's horrible mouth.

Sheppard heard Rodney struggling to breathe properly and looked over at him quickly. His face was pale and scrunched up, but he was trying to calm himself down.

The hull around them creaked and groaned as the monster shifted the Jumper in its mouth and increased the pressure of its half metre teeth.

"What do you think McKay?" Sheppard asked, "Do you reckon a drone will make this thing release us."

Rodney took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He looked at his tablet, "You really weren't kidding about the sushi thing, were you? There are easier ways to get hold of raw fish. Also the trouble with that plan is that the other sea creatures will get their first taste of raw human if you fire a drone.

"The creature has most of the Jumper inside its mouth. The drones would detonate too close to the Jumper, most likely taking us out in the blast as well."

Sheppard thought again for a moment, "Well I didn't really want to kill it anyway. What about flying out?"

"I think that's out too. It has us very firmly gripped. If we try to pull away it will probably just rip the hull to shreds and without shields…"

He trailed off as he remembered whale song surrounding his stricken Jumper as it sank down and down a year ago. Rodney looked at the tablet and tried to block out the unpleasant emotions and images.

Sheppard finished for him, "Human sushi?"

After a few more precious seconds Rodney snapped his fingers and turned to Sheppard, "We could electrify the hull. That should give it an unpleasant zap and make it let go of us. It also shouldn't cause any permanent injury."

Sheppard asked, "I don't know about that McKay, it's quite big. How much voltage do you think it would take to shock this thing?"

Rodney answered sarcastically, "Well your two excellent ideas would both have resulted in our rapid demise, and this is all I've got. At least we have an outside chance of not being blown up or ripped apart from my idea."

Sheppard rolled his eyes, "So how're you going to do it? If the electricity's passing through the hull, won't we get shocked too?"

Rodney frowned as he typed and snapped, "I'm working on it already, Colonel."

* * *

Sheppard watched the HUD to block out the view of the sea monster's ribs filling the windscreen in front of them. He could see some large teeth on either side of the window as they crushed the hull of the Jumper.

Suddenly McKay looked up as he found a solution. "A couple of the shield emitters are still working, not enough to get the shield online. I can, however, get the charge to pass through them, but…"

He trailed off and frowned.

Sheppard asked, "What is it?"

He looked scared, but steeled himself and turned his expression to one of grim determination, "Oh no, nothing. Probably nothing."

"_Rodney_…"

McKay gave in under Sheppard's glare, "It could still feed back inside to some extent. I can't see how it would happen and there's only a small chance that it will anyway."

Sheppard nodded. This was the only way they had to get free; otherwise the Jumper would be crushed and the hull breached very soon at the extent the jaws were biting down.

McKay said, "Well it's all ready to go, so just say the word and I'll fry this sucker."

"You said it wouldn't cause any permanent injuries!" Sheppard sounded annoyed.

McKay snapped back, "Figure of speech, Colonel."

"Okay," Sheppard said slowly, "Do it."

Rodney reached forward and pressed a button on the control panel.

The sea monster instantly let go of the Jumper as the electricity snaked out of the shield emitters and into its teeth and mouth. Sheppard quickly flew the craft up.

"Good work Rodney," he said as they approached the surface.

There was no answer so Sheppard turned to look at him. Rodney's hand was still stuck on the control panel. His lips were blue and he seemed to have stopped breathing. As Sheppard watched he thought he could see faint tremors running through him.

"Oh crap!" The Jumper broke through the surface and he quickly set it on autopilot to climb out of the atmosphere.

Sheppard ran into the back of the Jumper and grabbed the first thing of any use that he could find. It was a small plastic crate of guns and ammo. He upended them onto the deck in the rear compartment, grabbed the med kit and ran back to Rodney.

He used the crate to push Rodney away from the panel. He fell sideways and slumped against the wall. His whole face was deathly white and he had his eyes closed.

Now that Sheppard was safe from being shocked when he touched Rodney, he reached over and pulled him out of the chair. He laid him down flat on the floor and checked him over.

He noted that Rodney had stopped breathing. Sheppard quickly dug round in his memory and tried to ignore how dire the situation was as he worked. He grabbed the portable defibrillator out of the medical kit and calmly checked over the instructions. He had already been trained on using it.

Sheppard cut off Rodney's shirt and laid the paddles down diagonally across his chest. He immediately heard the machine charging up. When it was ready he pressed the discharge button and shocked Rodney.

He left the paddles there for a few more seconds, but the machine did not charge again. It flashed a message to start CPR.

Sheppard put his hands together on Rodney's chest and carefully counted out compressions. He then tilted Rodney's head back and gave him a couple of breaths. He was just watching McKay's chest fall and was about to start with more compressions, when Rodney's breath caught on its own. Sheppard quickly stopped and laid a hand on his shoulder.

McKay coughed, winced and rolled over onto his side. Sheppard rubbed his back until the coughing and gasping subsided.

Rodney turned over onto his back once again and looked up at Sheppard, "Thanks," he whispered harshly, "Oh my, that hurts. Like fire and ice travelling through all my veins. I could still see, but found that I couldn't move at all, not even to breathe."

"You gave me quite a scare Rodney," Sheppard said, his face awash with relief.

Rodney laid his head back on the deck and closed his eyes.

Sheppard shook him gently, "Do you think you can get up? I'd rather you didn't go to sleep until you can be checked over in the infirmary."

Rodney opened his eyes and nodded slowly. Sheppard reached down and heaved him up, wrapped a blanket around him and sat him in the passenger chair behind the co-pilot's seat. He thought it would be safer just in case the panel was still charged.

"We got away from the sea monster. I'm going to take us straight back to Atlantis now."

"Sounds good to me," Rodney said weakly as he rubbed his cold hands together to try and get the circulation going again.

* * *

McKay was feeling a lot better by the time they passed through the space gate and Sheppard landed the Jumper in the bay.

Rodney got up on his own and stumbled slightly as he tried to walk on his shaky legs.

Sheppard moved to help, but Rodney shook him off.

When they were both standing outside, they turned to look back at the Jumper. There were huge sharp dents and scrapes all over it.

Sheppard grinned, "Wow, I'm not sure how we're going to explain to Dr Weir how the Puddle Jumper got massive teeth marks in it."

McKay shrugged and shivered.

Sheppard put a hand on Rodney's shoulder to steady him as he spoke, "I suppose we could say we went fishing or something. Zelenka will be upset too. Isn't he still hammering out the dents in that other Jumper?"

McKay smiled, "Yes, I've seen him up here pulling off panels and trying to bend them back into shape. It still flies alright though."

Sheppard laughed with Rodney as he helped him walk out of the Jumper Bay and guided him towards the infirmary.

* * *

A/N – Sea Monster 1 – Puddle Jumper 0

EDIT - Thanks Debbie418uk2 for the medical info. Hope it's okay now!


	16. Gateroom Vertigo

Disclaimer – the usual

Huge thanks to ruthiemac for this story and for letting me run with it…

**Gateroom Vertigo**

Sheppard weaved and dodged the Puddle Jumper. He made it roll and flip, twist and turn. Still he could not shake the Wraith Dart that had pursued them all the way from the planet's surface.

He had been running a survey mission on a planet in the Ancient database with McKay. They had found a small settlement, but nothing worthy of further investigation.

Then the Wraith came. Now they were just trying to escape with their lives.

The darts had damaged the cloak before Sheppard could switch it on. Rodney had fortunately been able to cobble together a shield from some of the undamaged circuits. Sheppard had already used up their entire supply of drones to break through the ranks of the first darts, which came down from the orbiting cruiser.

All the others, except for this one dart, had given up on them as too much of risk.

"Tenacious isn't he?" Sheppard said through gritted teeth as he continued to put the Jumper through its paces.

Rodney was holding onto his seat so tightly, he did not think he would be able to uncurl his fingers if they got out of this. He just nodded as he watched Sheppard's improbable manoeuvring and once again praised the inertial dampeners. He thought that without them they would have long ago become nothing but pools on the floor after a few of Sheppard's tight turns.

"Damn it!" Sheppard cursed as the dart got a lucky shot.

Rodney glared wide-eyed at the HUD, "Shields are just about holding, but I don't think we can take many more hits."

"I know, McKay! We're nearly at the gate. Dial it up."

"What about the dart?"

"Hang on…that's strange," Sheppard said as he looked at the HUD, "It's hanging back. Maybe it thinks we might call our friends through the gate to take it out."

McKay frowned at the readings and quickly pressed the symbols for Atlantis on the Jumper's DHD.

The wormhole formed and still the dart kept its distance.

"Sheppard to Atlantis. We're coming in hot. Raise the shield again as soon as we're through."

"_Acknowledged, Colonel,"_ Weir replied.

Just before the Jumper went through the gate, the dart fired a small device. It latched onto the rear hatch of the Jumper, unnoticed by the craft's occupants.

* * *

Dr Zelenka was sitting at a laptop in the control room showing Dr Weir a schematic of the power distribution across Atlantis.

"I think we can afford to reduce power consumption in these areas." He pointed to the far edges of two of the piers. "We're draining power which we are not using from the ZPM."

Weir studied the diagram, "And you're sure it won't affect any other systems?"

"Yes, we've been working on it for the last couple of days. We think it…"

A Gateroom technician called out, "Unscheduled off-world activation!"

Weir looked up in alarm, "Raise the shield."

She walked over to the technician.

"Receiving Dr McKay's IDC."

"Lower the shield." Weir said.

_"Sheppard to Atlantis. We're coming in hot. Raise the shield again as soon as we're through."_

Weir pinched her face together to mask the worry, "Acknowledged, Colonel."

She watched as the Jumper came through the gate. She heard a swish as the shield activated and then a louder whoosh as the gate shut down.

The craft went up on autopilot into the Jumper Bay above. Just before it was completely through the ceiling a small black ball with blue lights blinking all over it detached from the rear hatch. It flew a few circles around the room and then it latched itself onto the ceiling in the Gateroom, glowing ominously.

Weir turned to Zelenka, "What is it?"

He was already at work trying to analyse the device. After a few seconds his eyes widened in shock. He quickly pushed up his glasses, "It's Wraith technology of some kind. I'm detecting a large build up of power inside. I think it's either a stun bomb or a conventional explosive."

Dr Weir asked keeping her voice even and calm, "Can you deactivate it?"

"Not from here. Someone needs to get up there to turn it off."

"Okay I'll call someone to get a ladder and ropes and…"

"We don't have time. According to this data the device will overload in less than two minutes."

"But if it's a stun bomb, we should be alright after a few hours?"

Zelenka's glasses had slipped down again, but he ignored them as he spoke quickly, "You don't understand. It's attached on the wall right next to a major power conduit running right to the ZPM. If it detonates, even if it's just a stun blast, the shockwave will travel down the conduit straight the ZPM. It's highly likely that it will destroy the ZPM and take the whole city with it."

Weir's stoic expression began cracking slightly as Zelenka spoke. She reached up and tapped her radio, "Weir to Sheppard."

_"Go ahead Doctor."_

"You brought back a Wraith device which has latched onto the ceiling in the Gateroom. We need you to fly the Jumper down into the Gateroom and ask Rodney to try and deactivate it."

_"Okay. I just powered it down, but we can be there in a sec."_

Zelenka said, "We now have less than sixty seconds before detonation. It is close to a power conduit."

McKay's voice came over the radio, _"Sixty seconds! How am I supposed to get to it if it's on the ceiling?" _They could all hear the panic as his voice broke at the end.

Weir smiled confidently and narrowed her eyes, even though she knew McKay could not see her; "We have _faith_ in you Rodney."

The seconds ticked by as Weir and Zelenka watched the Jumper slowly lowering back into the Gateroom.

"Thirty seconds," Zelenka said.

_"Thirty! It takes about five minutes for me to get a harness on!"_

_"There isn't enough time Rodney. I'll keep it as steady as I can."_

Weir held her breath as she watched Sheppard turn the Jumper around above them and open the rear hatch. A moment later she saw Rodney gingerly shuffling along the hatch towards the device.

"Ten seconds."

They saw Rodney blink for a second and then set his lips in a grim line. He reached up to the device, studied it for a fraction of a second. Feverishly he pried off a panel and pulled out a few crystals.

"He did it!" Zelenka cried happily. The lights went out on the device and the power readings disappeared.

Weir let out her held breath in an enormous sigh of relief. She was just about to radio the Jumper to congratulate them when the Jumper jerked towards the wall.

Rodney was half turned to head back into the rear compartment, but he did not have the luxury of inertial dampeners or artificial gravity on the hatch.

He was pushed against the device and knocked off balance. Everyone in the Gateroom watched in horror as Rodney rolled off the edge of the ramp and only just managed to save himself by grabbing the edge with his hands.

Weir could see his eyes were screwed tightly shut as he struggled to hold on.

Sheppard must have seen what was happening as he lowered the Jumper down. He was not fast enough though.

Rodney's left hand slipped from the edge of the hatch followed shortly after by his right.

Weir took in a sharp breath when she heard Rodney scream as he fell through the air. His body smacked into the Gateroom floor with a sickening sound of snapping bone.

Her heart was pounding in fright as she tapped her radio with shaking hands, "Medical emergency in the Gateroom!"

* * *

Sheppard laughed as the Jumper rose up into the bay, "Outwitted the Wraith again. Hard to believe they had the Ancients on their knees."

Rodney sighed and let go of the death grip he had on his seat. He flexed his aching hands a few times.

"I wonder why it didn't follow us through the gate? It would have been easy for it to come through."

"Always the optimist," Sheppard was still smiling as he landed the Jumper, "Come on let's go and grab Teyla and Ronon and get something to eat before the debrief."

"No argument there." Rodney rubbed a hand on his forehead and stood up to follow Sheppard. His heart had stopped racing now that they were safe and he let himself relax.

Sheppard was nearly out of the rear hatch when his radio buzzed, _"Weir to Sheppard."_

He thought it was strange to be called again so soon after returning, he tapped his own radio to reply, "Go ahead Doctor."

_"You brought back a Wraith device which has latched onto the ceiling in the Gateroom. We need you to fly the Jumper down into the Gateroom and ask Rodney to try and deactivate it."_

Rodney's eyes widened in panic, and he opened his mouth to protest. Sheppard indicated for him to keep quiet and pushed him back inside the Jumper as he spoke, "Okay. I just powered it down, but we can be there in a sec."

Zelenka's voice came over their radios, _"We now have less than sixty seconds before detonation. It is close to a power conduit."_

Rodney visibly shuddered as he stood in the back of the Jumper while Sheppard flew it over to the hole in the floor down to the Gateroom. He knew that if it was close to a power conduit it might have the capability to destroy the whole base and kill them all.

"Sixty seconds! How am I supposed to get to it if it's on the ceiling?" His voice rose at the end in an embarrassing way. He never could keep a lid on his emotions in situations like this. Even over the radio he was sure they all knew for certain he was panicking.

Weir's infuriatingly calm and stable voice returned, "_We have _faith _in you Rodney."_ He could imagine the look on her face as she placed all her trust and the fate of every life on the base firmly in his hands.

Rodney grabbed some safety ropes out of the overhead storage racks and was trying to untangle them when Zelenka spoke, _"Thirty seconds."_

"Thirty! It takes about five minutes for me to get a harness on!" His hands were now shaking so much he was tying more knots in the ropes as he tried in vain to free the harness.

Sheppard turned in the pilot's seat. "There isn't enough time Rodney. I'll keep it as steady as I can."

Rodney looked up at him quickly. He could see the edge of the ceiling out of the window, but not the floor.

The rear hatch of the Jumper opened in front of Rodney as he turned back to face his fate. He walked forward slowly and saw that they were hovering a long, long way up from the floor in the Gateroom.

Zelenka's voice buzzed in his ear, which ran through his heart and mind like a death knell, _"Ten seconds."_

He closed his eyes slowly and steeled himself as he moved right to the edge of the hatch. He forced himself not to look down as he quickly studied the device. It had a panel on the side that looked fairly easy to remove. He stretched across and pulled it away. His mind relaxed slightly as he saw the power crystals blinking and humming underneath.

He worked his hand around them and pulled them out. The humming stopped and the lights faded away.

Far below he heard Zelenka shout out, "He did it!"

Rodney breathed a shuddering sigh of relief as he moved to get back inside the Jumper. Suddenly the Jumper moved sharply towards the wall and Rodney's side hit the device, he lost all his breath and fell down onto the hatch.

He flailed his arms trying to grab hold of something to save himself as he rolled towards the edge of the hatch. He could find no purchase as he went over. His hands managed to grasp hold of the edge of the hatch before his body succumb to gravity. His hands were still sore and slightly numb from holding onto his seat earlier.

As he hung there, he was suddenly acutely and painfully aware of every sensation as he closed his eyes as tightly as he could. The rushing of blood past his ears; his rapid and shallow breaths; the light upward wind across his exposed skin and in his hair as he felt the Jumper moving down.

But his cramped and sweaty fingers were no longer strong enough and his left hand slipped off the hatch. His right hand was unable to hold his entire weight on its own and soon after it also slipped from the hatch.

The next thing he knew was the sudden and much faster air rushing past him as he fell. He screamed in terror as the floor rushed up to meet him. He didn't even notice when he hit the ground. The whole world just went black.

* * *

TBC

A/N – Bit of a POV switch round there, apologies for the cliffhanger!


	17. Gateroom Vertigo Part II

Disclaimer – The usual

And now for ruthiemac's second request (takes deep breath) here you are…

**Gateroom Vertigo Part II**

Sheppard watched the Jumper's HUD as Rodney stepped out onto the hatch. He focused on nothing but keeping the Jumper still. Keeping himself calm. Not just for Rodney's sake, but for the whole of Atlantis.

He had seen the colour drain out of McKay's face much faster than usual, even for him, when Zelenka said the device was near a power conduit.

He heard voices over his radio, but could not listen as all his thoughts were channelled into his task.

After seemingly endless seconds, he saw the power reading of the device outside the rear of the Jumper hatch wink out.

Sheppard allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, but the Jumper sensed his momentary lapse in concentration and suddenly lurched backwards before he could do anything.

He watched the HUD in horror as Rodney hit the device on the wall and fell off the edge of the hatch, only saving himself by grabbing the edge.

Sheppard lowered the Jumper down, praying he had enough time before Rodney's fingers gave out. The Jumper was still several metres away from the ground in the Gateroom when he saw the dangling life sign slip off the hatch and plummet to the floor.

"Oh no! Rodney…" Sheppard gasped.

Seeing that there was nothing more he could do, Sheppard quickly raised the Jumper and landed it unceremoniously across the middle of the Jumper Bay. His heart pounded painfully in his chest and he could feel cold flushes across his skin as his brain screamed at him in guilt and shock at what he had just done.

Rodney had saved them all, yet again, and Sheppard had repaid him by tipping him out the back of the Jumper.

He ran out of the craft and down the stairs into the Gateroom.

He saw Zelenka and Weir crouching by Rodney as he lay on his back on the floor. Sheppard saw that he was unconscious, but could not see if he was still breathing until he got closer.

As he looked down at his friend, his whole being became shrouded in shock and he could no longer feel anything, not even pity, sadness or horror.

Rodney's face was streaked in blood as it flowed from his mouth, nose and ears into an already growing pool on the floor under his head. As if that was not bad enough, his left leg was twisted round in ways that it should never have to turn. There was more blood spreading across his leg through his clothes.

The medical team arrived as Sheppard stared down numbly. They quickly moved him back; and he let them. They swarmed around Rodney and set to work. He could hear a Scottish voice barking commands and lamenting the seriousness of McKay's condition, but his brain could not take any of the words in or translate them into anything understandable.

He continued to watch and after a few minutes they loaded Rodney onto a gurney, pumping air into his lungs through a facemask and holding bags of fluid high above him. They set him in a neck and head brace and wheeled him away.

Still Sheppard stood there; he began to frown as he saw the smears of blood on the floor where his friend had been lying, broken a moment ago.

Then he suddenly felt light pressure around his upper arm. He ignored it and just kept his eyes staring forwards at the dark red liquid in front of him.

His view was quickly obscured as Weir stepped in front of him and studied his expression in concern. She kept her hand around his arm and brought her other hand to grasp his other arm. She did not speak but just kept looking into his face.

Sheppard felt uncomfortable under the gaze. He had really messed up this time. If Rodney survived, Sheppard thought he may eventually be forgiven, but it would never alleviate the guilt he felt. He suddenly decided that he needed to say something, anything, "Elizabeth… I…"

She cut him off, "John, don't worry about it for now. I think you should let the infirmary take a look at you. You don't look very well."

Sheppard nodded slowly and let himself be guided to the transporter. She was right, he was beginning to feel a little dizzy.

Even after everything he had seen and done while being in war zones and in arms with others, he had never reacted so badly. He reasoned it was probably because usually it was someone else who had caused the injury, but this time it was all his fault and he would have to find a way to deal with it.

* * *

Teyla and Ronon joined Sheppard and Weir as they went into the infirmary.

Teyla took in Sheppard's ashen face and Weir's hardened expression, "We just heard about what happened," Teyla said, "How is Rodney?"

"Let's find out," Weir replied, her voice unreadable, but staying strong.

Ronon did not say anything, but went over and hovered next to Sheppard to provide unspoken support.

The infirmary was noisy and there were many people crowded around a scanner as it traced a green grid along McKay. Beckett was still calling out medical terms and drug names as he looked at the data from the scan.

"Aye Rodney, what have you done this time?" He muttered, shaking his head.

He looked up briefly at Weir and the team and gave them a grim smile as Rodney was wheeled away into the operating theatre, still surrounded by Carson's medical team. He followed them in and closed the door.

A nurse came over to the team as they all stood in the doorway, "May I help you?" She asked, casting an eye over each face and settling on Sheppard.

"No, no, I'm fine," he said as he noticed her paying more attention to him than the others.

"Are you sure?" Weir asked, "You didn't look very well a minute ago."

The colour in Sheppard's face had begun to come back. Now that he knew Rodney was still alive and was with the best medical team in the whole galaxy. He felt confident placing Rodney's life into Beckett's hands. The man could work miracles.

Ronon cut in, "He looks alright to me. I say we go and get some lunch."

Teyla said, "That is a good idea Ronon. Doctor Beckett will call us as soon as he has any news."

The nurse smiled at Sheppard and he tried to grin back, but he did not think the muscles to show happiness were working properly just yet, because the nurse's face fell.

She let him leave with the others and Weir headed back to the Gateroom; leaving Sheppard with Ronon and Teyla. She thought that would be better than having him in the infirmary. They would be able to support him while they all waited tensely for information on Rodney's condition.

* * *

Sheppard sat in the mess hall with his eyes downcast, picking at his food, but not eating any of it.

Teyla frowned at him in worry, "John, it was not your fault. You should not blame yourself for what happened."

Sheppard looked up at her, but still did not speak.

Ronon said in earnest, "McKay's as tough as he is stubborn. He'll be alright."

Teyla continued, "The only place where blame lies is with the Wraith for sending that device through the gate. Rodney knew the risks and I'm sure he carried them well, as he always does."

Sheppard furrowed his brow slightly as his mind sifted through their comments. He was beginning to feel a little better, now that the initial shock had worn off.

"It's been such a long time," Sheppard said, "Do you think Carson's still in surgery?"

Teyla smiled sadly, "Do you not have a saying 'no news is good news?'"

"Yes, that's true. If Rodney's condition worsened, we would probably have been called by now."

Ronon put a hand on Sheppard's shoulder and pushed him sideways in a friendly Satedan way. To anyone else would have looked like a savage attack. Sheppard knew better and was grateful for the affectionate gesture.

He picked up his cutlery and started to eat properly while they waited.

* * *

Beckett called them down to the infirmary a few hours later.

As Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon and Weir walked in they could see Rodney half obscured over in the corner of the room. There were still a couple of medical staff hovering around him, noting things on clipboards and checking the many leads and tubes connected to him.

Carson looked tired and harassed, but brightened when he saw them come in. He walked over to them, "I just finished surgery. Aye, our Rodney sure is one lucky man. Many people have died from less serious injuries. He has a fractured skull as well as several broken ribs. His head injury was lessened though as his left leg took most of the damage." Carson sighed and rubbed the side of his face, "It had multiple open fractures, which I've just set and put in a cast."

Weir took it all in and asked, "Can we go over and see him?"

"I don't see why not. Just be careful. I'm going to keep him sedated on a ventilator for a couple of days to make sure there are no further complications from his head injury and to allow the swelling to go down."

They quietly made their way over and stood in a line around the foot of Rodney's bed. There was a soft and slow beep of a heart monitor and the rhythmic noise of the ventilator helping him breathe. Under the bandage around the top of his head, his face was very pale and the dark purple bruises around his eyes gave him a very panda-like appearance. They could also see a thick cast through the sheets around his entire left leg from his foot right up to his hip.

Carson allowed them a couple of minutes there and them herded them out of the infirmary. He promised that in a day he would let one of them sit with Rodney, but only if they behaved.

Weir left the infirmary with the others; she decided not to have a post mission briefing just yet. They needed to focus all their efforts on Rodney. She would ask Sheppard to do a written report at a later date. She already knew what had happened in the Gateroom when they returned and felt it would be unkind and detrimental to their military commanding officer to make him relive the events before Rodney was awake.

* * *

Sheppard was sitting in the infirmary a few days later. His head was lying down on the side of the bed and he had just nodded off.

Beckett had removed the tube from Rodney's throat a couple of days after the incident, and smiled whenever he checked on the progress of his recovery.

Carson came over and gently shook the Colonel.

Sheppard woke with a start, "What what what? Is Rodney awake yet?"

Carson frowned at him, "No lad. I think you need to go and get some proper rest. It's not helping you staying in here like this."

Ronon and Teyla had frequently come to the infirmary to pull him away from Rodney's bedside. Sheppard looked up at Carson sheepishly, "But it's probably helping Rodney and I'd like to stay here if that's okay with you. It's the least I can do."

Carson smiled sadly, "I don't want you thinking you have to stay here in some act of repentance. No-one has ever blamed you for what happened and they _never_ will."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes, as Carson once again motioned that it would be a good idea to leave. Sheppard's tiredness coupled with the stress and emotional upheaval, which had been building up during his vigil over the last few days suddenly caught up with him as he spoke. "He trusted me. He saved us all and I nearly killed him! The least I can do is stay with him and try to return the favour."

Carson was slightly taken aback by the outburst from Sheppard, but took it all in his stride, "Alright lad. Just make sure you don't fall asleep in here again or I'll have to ask Ronon to come and _carry_ you back to your quarters."

Sheppard smiled at Carson as he walked away and then returned his gaze to Rodney's face. The bruises were slowly fading and he had a little colour back in his skin.

* * *

A day later, Sheppard was still sitting in the infirmary next to Rodney. He had a book this time. He kept catching himself re-reading the same lines over and over as he struggled to concentrate. Carson had eventually called Ronon to drag Sheppard away the day before. Teyla stayed behind with Rodney, so that he was never left alone.

He was making slow progress through a page when Rodney's heart monitor increased slightly.

Sheppard looked up in alarm and found Rodney looking at him with tired eyes, "You look awful," he croaked.

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, "I was thinking the same thing about you!"

Rodney closed his eyes slowly as he spoke, "You probably look worse than I do. Wow, John you should really try to get some sleep."

Carson saw that Rodney was awake and came over and checked his readings. He smiled and patted Rodney gently on the shoulder. Then he walked away and left them alone again.

Rodney opened his eyes and looked into Sheppard's face. He saw the flickers of sadness and guilt playing across the Colonel's face, "John, what is it?"

"Rodney… I'm… _really_ sorry for what happened."

McKay regarded him for a few seconds before he spoke again slowly and carefully, "I know more than anyone how hard it is to fly those things. You did an excellent job. I saved the city again, hell we _both_ saved it this time and I survived didn't I? Don't beat yourself up about it."

Sheppard relaxed and allowed a genuine smile to spread across his face for the first time in days.

"Thanks Rodney."

He drifted back off to sleep and Sheppard leaned back in his chair and picked up the book again. Only this time his eyes tracked swiftly across the lines as a grin stayed frozen on his face.

* * *

A/N – This was quite a Sheppard angst chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought. x Varda x

If anyone has any more ideas for PJM, please send them over :) thanks

Also massive thanks to RodneyIsGodney for tagging this collection over on the McKay Whumping thread on the Gateworld Forum. Shucks you make me blush ;)


	18. All Good Hymns

Disclaimer – see previous

Now for some randomness…

**All Good Hymns…**

Rodney's fingers drummed on the control panel in impatient excitement as the forest below the Jumper whipped by.

Teyla gave the back of his head an exasperated look and rolled her eyes.

The energy reading playing across the HUD of the craft in front of them was enormous. It spread out from a focal point on the ground several miles in front of them and out in a dissipating arc around the main reading.

McKay had muttered about ZPMs and several things he would like to try if they ever got their hands on more than one and were finally allowed to keep them all.

Sheppard turned to him and sighed, "We're nearly there now, Rodney. We'll probably have to make good with the locals, as usual, before we can get a look at what they have."

Ronon rocked slightly in laughter at the way McKay's face fell and he stopped tapping the panel and looked at Sheppard, "Shame we can't just ignore them. I doubt whether they even know what a ZedPM is let alone how to make use of one."

Sheppard smiled and raised his eyebrows, "Come on Rodney, remember we don't steal things from defenceless villagers."

Teyla looked between them, "At the very least we may gain a valuable trading partner from this."

Sheppard landed the Jumper in a small clearing a short distance away from the primitive settlement.

They all stepped out of the hatch. Rodney was trying to push himself to the front, with his scanner in hand. His eyes were wide with enthusiasm as he pointed to the small tower in the centre of the village.

"The focus of the power reading is at the base of that tower. Can I go and check it out while you guys go and make friendly with the locals?"

Sheppard shook his head, "Let's stick together for now and check this place out first."

They walked towards the tents clustered around the tower. The structure itself was light brown with a dome at the top. On the dome there were many long black spikes pointing up into the atmosphere in every direction.

Sheppard asked, "Why's there a hedgehog on top of the tower?"

McKay gave him a sour look and went back to his hand scanner.

Ronon shrugged and asked, "What's a hedgehog?"

As they got closer to the village they heard an odd noise. It was a low droning sound, but it seemed to be on more than one note. The sound became worse the closer they got to the tents. It was discordant and broken, like people were trying to sing together, but no one was able to pitch the same note as anyone else.

Three men in long black robes approached the team swiftly. The one at the front had his arms outstretched in greeting. A wide smile was across his face, as he looked the team over.

Sheppard said in a friendly way, "I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," he pointed to each member of his team and introduced them all, "This is Doctor Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan."

The men stared back at him blankly and the leader frowned. He then raised his hand and pointed it to his ear, then shook his head. He then swept his hand in a motion towards the tower, beckoning them to follow.

The three men turned their backs on the team and walked towards the tower.

Sheppard said slowly, "Okay?"

Rodney shouted after them, "Hey, we're here to steal your ZedPM!"

"_McKay_…"

The men did not turn at the sound of the abrasive and rude comment.

Teyla frowned, "Do you think that they are…"

"Deaf? Yes," Rodney finished.

Ronon asked, "Why?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

Ronon looked at Rodney, "You've got the scanner."

"Oh yes, because this scanner not only detects life signs and energy readings, but it is also reads minds and gives me the answers to all your inane questions."

Ronon chuckled as Rodney rose to his bait with the diatribe.

McKay rubbed the side of his face in annoyance and walked after the others as they came into the shadow under the tower.

* * *

They did not see anyone else in the village until they walked under a large archway and inside the tower.

The noise inside the room was almost deafening and Rodney cringed at the assault on his sensitive hearing. It was the same discordant noise, which had been building as they got closer to the tower. They now seemed to be at the source and it was eye-wateringly loud.

They walked into a large round room, draping from the walls were black pieces of cloth which swayed gently as they walked past underneath. In the centre of the room was a circular control panel, which surrounded a pillar going up into the tower high above them.

Around the edges of the room, there were men, women and children all clothed in the same black robes as their silent hosts. They looked afraid at the sight of the strangers at first and then went back to looking in awe and respect at the central pillar of the room.

The men they were following stopped and turned around to face the team. They again pointed at their ears and then at the device. They then went to the edge of the room and sat down with all the other villagers.

Sheppard pointed at himself and then at the control panel, trying to indicate if it would be alright for them to take a closer look. The leader of the men who guided them there just nodded and held his hand out towards the console.

McKay was not sure how much more his eardrums could take. The sound seemed to be getting louder, if that was even possible. The loudness in itself was very unpleasant, but coupled with the clashing notes and consistency of the ceaseless drone he was unsure whether he would go mad just by being there.

He walked over to the control panel and hooking his tablet from the back of his tac vest, he swiftly plugged it in and began analysing the data.

As his eyes flicked across the first line, he saw that the locals had all begun to curl up on the floor with their heads down and hands covering their ears, almost in a gesture of supplication.

McKay looked at the rest of his team and frowned. Teyla already had her hands covering her ears and Sheppard and Ronon were trying to mask their own discomfort.

Suddenly a highly resonant and ear splitting chime rang out from the tower. McKay joined the villagers on the floor with his eyes screwed tightly closed and his hands over his ears. There was nothing but that sound running through his brain and vibrating his bones. It filled his whole being and shook him right to the soul.

Then it stopped, absolute silence descended on the tower. McKay could still hear the high pitched chime though, as he gritted his teeth and pressed his forehead on the cold floor with his hands still clamped against the sides of his head.

He felt a hand on his back and allowed himself to be pulled up onto his feet.

He saw Sheppard's mouth moving, but the dim of the whine in his head would not let his voice cut through. He shrugged and grabbed his tablet.

Ronon and Teyla looked quite shaken and the villagers were sitting up again. They had looks of grim anticipation on their faces.

McKay's eyes read across the lines of text on his laptop and got wider as he reached the end.

Speaking was hopeless, so he typed a few words down on the screen and flipped it over to show the others. He wrote very quickly, keeping it brief.

_ZPM nearly depleted. Louder sonic blast imminent. To save our hearing we need to leave. Now!_

Sheppard waved at the men who had led them into the room. He tried to smile in thanks that they had been allowed to join in the ceremony, but it was hard to grin when you wondered whether your hearing was irreparably damaged.

They fled the tower and ran through the village towards the Jumper.

Ronon flew his head from side to side as they ran, checking their surroundings carefully. He hated the buzzing in his ears and felt exposed, as he was unable to hear if an enemy was approaching.

Nothing assailed them as they ran though and soon they stumbled mutely into the Jumper and Sheppard sealed the hatch.

The team walked quickly to their respective seats and Sheppard lifted the Jumper off the ground. He raised the shield and hoped that it would protect them from the sound wave or that they would make it back to the gate on the planet before it hit.

He turned the Jumper around and accelerated back towards the gate, keeping the craft low over the treetops.

Rodney, very helpfully, wrote, '_Hurry_!' in large letters across his tablet and waved it so that Sheppard could see out of the corner of his eye.

Sheppard was not fast enough at edging the Jumper to accelerate and he had not breached the sound barrier when a much more intense sonic blast went through the craft.

Rodney once again thought his skull would split as wave after wave of sound washed over him and reverberated around the Jumper.

He stayed in his seat. His eyes were closed in agony and his hands went white as they pushed against his ears tightly. It looked as though he was in danger of crushing his head. Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla had fallen out of the chairs and lay face down on the floor, as the villagers had, covering their ears and heads.

Rodney wished for nothing except an end to the noise and ringing in his head.

He did not notice the thin cracks which began to spread out across the windscreen. He also did not see them grow wider and begin to meet up with other weaknesses in the glass.

Nor did Rodney hear the glass break as he could still only hear the sound from the tower as it flowed over the planet. Shards of broken windscreen rained into the cockpit of the Jumper. He began to drift into unconsciousness as the sound continued to rattle him.

The Jumper, sensing that it's pilot had abandoned ship, spun down to the ground out of control. It ploughed through tree branches until it came to rest in a deep rut it had just created.

Unfortunately Rodney _did_ notice the searing pain, which passed through his body. He cried out as a wayward tree branch entered into the cockpit through the now open window and pierced him in the chest.

As the dust and smashed branches settled, the sound abruptly ceased and the occupants of the craft began to stir.

Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon all stood up, slightly shaken and covered in small cuts from the glass, which had been all but pulverised by the sound.

Sheppard immediately saw the branch poking out of McKay's upper right chest and motioned for Teyla to grab some bandages. Rodney also had some cuts across his bare face, neck and hands, but they were not too serious.

If the high pitched noise in Sheppard's head was anything to go by, he doubted whether anyone would be able to hear for a while, so he used wild gestures and looks to convey his intended actions.

Luckily for Rodney, although being stabbed by a tree was not really a very lucky thing to happen, the branch had already broken off and only about a foot still stuck out of him.

He was gasping with his eyes closed as he sucked in shallow and agonizing breaths. His breathing was becoming more and more fleeting and elusive as pain cut through his ribs and chest.

Sheppard indicated for Ronon to hold the backs of McKay's arms to prevent him from moving or pitching forward into the panel if he passed out. Sheppard could not imagine it would do any good if the branch was pinning him to the seat, although he did not dare to move him, just in case. Also a fall onto the panel would surely cause more damage as it would dislodge or press the branch into him more deeply.

Teyla came back and put the medical kit on the seat behind Sheppard's and rooted around, bringing out some bandages.

Sheppard took them from her and leaned over his friend, noting the man's pale features and a small dribble of blood coming from the corner of his mouth.

Rodney was in considerable pain and distress as his chest shifted against the branch when he breathed. As Sheppard wrapped a bandage around the branch he started to choke and cough and he subconsciously raised his left hand to cover his mouth.

When he took his hand away, he narrowly opened his eyes and regarded the bright red blood spatters across his digits. He frowned slightly and started coughing again. Ronon held him back as tightly as possible to prevent the movement and shuddering as he gagged and choked. It was not enough to prevent the pain though and soon Rodney passed out. He would have slumped down if not for Ronon's steadfast and strong grip around his shoulders.

Sheppard thought there was nothing more they could do for Rodney. He shared and worried look with Ronon and Teyla and sat in the pilot's chair.

The HUD had been destroyed with the windscreen so he relied on the control panel and his intuition as the Jumper powered up around him. He noted that the shield was still operational. He quickly raised it and climbed the Jumper out of the rut it had created.

The shield protected them from the wind as he flew it to the planet's gate and back to Atlantis.

* * *

Sheppard sat silently with Rodney in the infirmary a few days later.

He was still very pale and still drawing in shallow breaths. He was also drugged up to the gills, so not really feeling the brunt of the pain his body was in.

The medical team had taken a long time to clear him to be moved from the Jumper to the infirmary. Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla had been herded away as they had to have their hearing checked after the damage caused on the planet. They also had their worst cuts from the glass sewn up.

Fortunately the tinnitus was beginning to subside and Beckett had told them it should be back to normal for them all very soon. Although he said long term and frequent exposure to the sound they heard would definitely cause permanent and irreversible hearing loss.

Sheppard still found the muffled and constant whistling to be unnerving.

Sheppard had managed to smuggle a laptop in and was watching McKay tapping away and reading through the data he downloaded from the planet. He had a bandage around his chest and some stitches through the worst cuts on his face.

After a moment he turned his eyes sleepily on Sheppard and spoke in short phrases to avoid having to breathe too deeply, "It was a weapon," he gasped.

Sheppard had to rely mostly on lip reading to understand what McKay said.

"Built by the Ancients. It resonates at a frequency specifically tuned to damage Wraith ships. But they found, as we did, that it also damaged their own ships and so abandoned the project."

Rodney shut his eyes and just concentrated on his breathing for a few seconds. Sheppard leaned over to take the laptop away in case he fell asleep and dropped it. He grabbed the corner and had just given it a tug, when Rodney's eyes opened again.

"Hey!" He said weakly looking at the screen again and trying to remember what he was saying.

"The ZedPM in the tower only has enough power for a few more years, so it wasn't worth stealing anyway."

Sheppard thought for a moment, "Would it destroy attacking darts?"

"More than likely. From these readings, the weapon activates every few hours. It emits a small burst followed by a much larger one." Rodney frowned as he continued to read the screen, "The frequency and decibel readings inside the tower are lower than outside."

"Probably why the locals gathered there."

"Better to be deaf than to be fed upon," Rodney said darkly as he closed his eyes and really did fall asleep this time.

Sheppard rescued the laptop and pretended it was his when Beckett came over to check up on Rodney a few minutes later. Carson raised his eyebrows at the Colonel and shook his head as he walked away.

* * *

A/N – Something a little different perhaps? Please let me know what you thought. Thanks! x Varda x


	19. Chasing Comets

Disclaimer – the usual, see previous

**Chasing Comets**

"Don't know why I have to do this," Rodney grumbled as he wriggled inside his huge and highly uncomfortable white spacesuit in the rear compartment of the Puddle Jumper. He felt fairly ridiculous in the cumbersome outfit. He was slightly reassured by how large it was; the larger the protection for his imminent sojourn, the better.

"Well you were the one who suggested it." Sheppard said from the pilot seat raising his eyebrows.

"Ah yes," Rodney raised a gloved finger as he spoke, "But I distinctly said afterwards that Zelenka would have been a better candidate. That's the great thing about being a department head; you can order your minions to do unpleasant things you'd rather not."

"_McKay_, for a start Zelenka's busy servicing and repairing Jumpers at the moment. Secondly, you should never assign people things that you would never do yourself." Sheppard grinned mischievously, "Unless of course, you can't."

"What! Of course I can do it. It's only collecting dust and small rocks."

"And a much larger rock."

"Yes, that too," Rodney grimaced, "But that's your job."

"It sure is!" Sheppard said sounding quite excited at the prospect.

McKay gritted his teeth at the pressing weight of the suit and contemplated the task ahead. One of the teams had been scouting a system with a space gate and had reported a high number of comets. Rodney had decided it would be a good idea to go and collect some samples for analysis. He had been forced into going himself as it was argued he had the most EVA experience and would know what to look for. Even when Rodney pointed out that it had been one space walk in a life or death situation, not a rock-gathering mission.

The science team had chosen a comet a fair distance from the sun, so that the solar radiation and pressure from the system's star would not cause any hazards for an EVA. Sheppard could run some scans with the Jumper, while Rodney went outside and collected some samples. McKay would then choose a larger piece for Sheppard to grapple and carry back to Atlantis for study.

"Okay we're nearly there," Sheppard announced after a few more minutes.

McKay's heart fluttered in panic in his chest at the thought of leaving the safety of the Jumper, with it's oxygen, heat and gravity, to only having a few centimetres of protection around his skin against the airless vacuum.

The small tail from the comet flashed across the windscreen of the Jumper briefly as Sheppard manoeuvred it down to land on the sun-facing side, away from the trail of debris.

Rodney felt an ever so slight jolt as the Jumper landed on the comet. Sheppard turned in his seat grinning, "Okay, we're here. You go and collect your space dust and I'll pick you up in half an hour."

Rodney only shuddered at having to be out of the Jumper for such a long time. He screwed his helmet on and pressurized the suit. He checked the tethers to the sample containers he was carrying and his equipment case.

He gave Sheppard the thumbs up with his mouth turned down in claustrophobic misery.

Sheppard returned the gesture still smiling, or almost laughing, it seemed to Rodney, at the scientist's discomfort at his plight. He slammed the bulkhead door and Rodney heard the rear compartment airlock cycling.

He turned to the rear hatch as all the atmosphere and pressure left. Quickly he pressed a button on the panel across his chest and magnetized the spacesuit's boots.

He was taking sharp and shallow gasps as the glass dome of the helmet felt so restricting and small. He tried not to turn his head and look at the sides of the helmet. He closed his eyes and kept repeating in his head that it was only for half an hour and he would probably be so fascinated that he would forget that he was working in space. He also tried to block out the thoughts of how just a tiny breath of solar radiation or wind from the sun could kill him instantly if it desired to blow in the short time he was outside the Jumper.

"_You okay Rodney?" _Sheppard's voice cut across his train of thought.

"Not really. Just open the damn hatch and let's get this over with."

He heard an exasperated sigh over the radio and then brilliant light shone through his eyelids. Opening his eyes, he saw the hatch lowering in front of him. Beyond there was a small jagged and rock covered plane, ending abruptly as it met with the star-strewn black space beyond the outer edge of the comet.

Rodney let out a large puff of air and rolled his eyes as his visor streamed up briefly and then quickly cleared. He stepped forward, each footfall sending a jolt through him as his feet stuck to the deck of the Jumper.

As he walked from the rear hatch he gazed his eyes upwards to see the bright star shining in the distance. He moved carefully between the debris on the comet's surface, to avoid catching himself on any of the sharp rock edges on the face of the overgrown asteroid.

_"Okay, you're clear. I'll see you later. Make sure you get something we can use the pave the front garden."_

"This isn't a joyride, Colonel. We're here to do a thorough scientific investigation," Rodney snapped back.

_"Lighten up a little McKay!_ Try _to have some fun!"_

McKay grimaced and sighed loudly at the jibe as he looked around at the sun blasted landscape, "Acknowledged," was all he could grudgingly say as he tried to steady his nerves and attempt to forget that the surface he was standing on would very soon be enveloped in destroying solar flares.

He turned around slowly and watched the Jumper leave and fly away underneath the comet to gather some data on the composition of the tail debris.

Rodney steeled himself and plodded along, weaving around large rocks until he found a small 'clearing.' He crouched down with difficulty in the restricting suit and used a scanner to record some readings.

He grunted at the results and undid a small canister. He then dragged it along the ground, gathering some fine dust inside. He screwed the cap on and let it go on its tether. It clinked against a rock, but there was no sound in the vacuum.

* * *

Rodney repeated the collecting procedure several times, moving around the debris and recording the data and location of each sample. He also collected some larger fragments and put them inside more canisters. He was so engrossed in his work that Sheppard's voice startled him.

_"Okay kids. Time's up, let's see what you've got."_

"That's alright Colonel, I've actually just finished. I've even picked out a delightful candidate for 'large rock sample of the day.'"

McKay stood up straight and watched the Jumper a short distance away hovering above the comet and facing him.

Rodney had tagged the rock he had his eye on with a specially designed marker, which could be picked up by the Jumper's sensors. The rock was about the same height as Rodney and small enough to fit through the gate if attached to the grapple underneath the craft.

It was out of the question for Rodney to try and move it to the Jumper as he would not be able to move it through the surrounding rock structures and it was fairly sharp on some edges and there was a high risk it would damage his suit.

He was still standing close to it when Sheppard said, "Grapple is online and ready."

Rodney panicked, "Uh… Just let me get further away Colonel."

"What's the matter? Don't trust me?" Sheppard asked wryly.

"No no no it's not that! You'd want to be as far away as possible from the rock too if you only had a thin layer between you and certain death."

McKay scrambled out of the way as fast as he could, much more adept at not brushing against any edges now that he had had half an hour to practise.

Rodney stopped a short distance away in another area, which was clear of large rocks and turned to watch.

Sheppard fired the grapple and snagged the rock. It had obviously not been as secure to the comet as he thought and he fired the grapple to hard. The rock was pushed far along the surface of the comet and then swung wildly round as there was no gravity or friction towards Rodney.

The rock itself missed Rodney, who threw up his arms to protect his head, but the tether caught him across the stomach.

The thick cable coiled around Rodney's space-suited waist as the rock pulled on the grapple line. It became tighter and tighter around his midsection until he felt excruciating pain as his organs began to be crushed and he could hardly breathe.

"Sheppard!" Was all he choke out as the rock ran out of line and slammed into his back. It smashed the instruments and life support devices stored in his pack and then scrapped along his side. Air, mingled with blood began hissing out of the suit where it had split and Rodney was yanked from the surface of the comet, even with his magnetized boots.

The whole incident only took a few seconds to play out, but Sheppard saw that Rodney was in serious trouble. The suit would rapidly leak too much air for him to avoid breathing vacuum for much longer.

Sheppard quickly deactivated the grapple and watched the lethal rock float away. He then cut the line and opened the rear hatch. He scooped up Rodney, with the wire still wrapped around his torso, out of the vacuum.

"Crap, crap, crap," Sheppard repeated as he repressurised the rear compartment and put the Jumper on autopilot to fly back to the gate.

As soon as a the HUD told him it was safe, Sheppard opened the bulkhead door and ran over to Rodney, who was lying face down on the floor surrounded by the sample canisters still attached to him by ropes.

Sheppard crouched down next to him and removed the helmet.

Rodney shook, gritted his teeth and scrunched up his face in pain as he struggled to stay conscious while Sheppard carefully unwound the metal cable digging into his midsection around the spacesuit. Sheppard had to keep rolling him over slightly to get the cable all the way round.

As the line got looser and Rodney was able to breathe again he became more vocal, "Oh my god, that hurts. I can't breathe."

"Seem to be breathing alright now," Sheppard said and grimaced when he saw a trickle of blood run out of the spacesuit and shine garishly against the white material from the gash on Rodney's side. Sheppard could not imagine the weight of the suit against McKay's bruises was very comfortable.

"What happened to the rock?" Rodney asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, I had to let it go."

"Oh," he sighed in disappointment.

Once Rodney was free from the cable, Sheppard began the laborious task of removing the injured scientist from the spacesuit.

It took him quite a while, and all the time he could see Rodney becoming weaker and weaker; his face paling and eyes closing as he lost more blood.

Rodney was barely conscious when Sheppard took off the last of the protective suit and peeled back his shirt to expose a deep and nasty cut on his side and bruise all around his lower torso. There were also several grazes on his back from where the rock had scraped along him.

Rodney lay on the deck of the Jumper, curled up on his side. He had his arms drawn into his chest.

Sheppard pressed a bandage gently against the cut, just below his ribs, as it was very close to the bruising.

Rodney's breath hitched. He winced and tried to twist away from the pressure and pain. He opened his eyes and gazed blearily at Sheppard's grim face, "How does it look?"

"Nothing but a few cuts and bruises," Sheppard said, without looking him in the eyes.

"Feels worse," he whispered and then his face went slack as he passed out.

"Double crap," Sheppard muttered as he carefully wrapped the bandage around McKay's midsection.

When Sheppard finished he placed an oxygen mask over Rodney's face and wrapped a blanket around him. Sheppard checked his pulse and found it was rapid and weak.

Sheppard was still monitoring Rodney's condition, when the HUD flashed up that they were approaching the gate.

He got up and walked over to the pilot's seat. He saw the space gate hovering in front of the craft. He dialled the address for Atlantis, radioed ahead for a med team and then guided the Jumper through the rippling blue portal.

* * *

"Wow, Rodney they sure let you out quickly," Sheppard grinned when he sat down opposite McKay in the mess hall, "Did you upset Carson more than usual this time and make him chuck you out?"

Rodney looked up from his half eaten lunch and winced, "What? No, turned out the cut was the worst thing and they soon stitched that up and did a transfusion."

His face fell as he spoke and he started tapping on the tablet next to his tray.

Sheppard studied him for a moment, lucky for Rodney he did not need surgery to repair the bruising, however he was going to be very sore for a while.

After a long beat Sheppard spoke again, "I've got something that'll cheer you up."

"Oh really? And what might that be?" He snapped in reply, while he thought there was not anything that could make him happy at the moment, except more drugs and blissful unconsciousness.

"You'll have to follow me."

Sheppard got up to leave.

"Uh, injured here. Can't you just tell me what it is? That way I don't have to move."

"Come on Rodney, you'll like it."

McKay frowned and shut his eyes, as Sheppard grabbed his arm and helped him up.

They walked slowly over to the transporter and down to one of the isolation labs.

"But how did you get it?" Rodney asked looking down from the viewing gallery at the rock sitting in the middle of the room below.

"Well, you know. I went back this morning and grabbed another one."

"Hmm, urm… thanks."

McKay's face rose a little as he thought about all the interesting information they would be able to glean from the fragment.

* * *

A/N - My humble and sincere apologies to the wonderful Debbie418uk2 for the unknowing and unintentional similarities between my last chap and one of her 'Rodney's Really Bad Days.' If you haven't already read these (why not?!) go and check them out _right now_ (erm after reviewing this chap) and revel in the brilliance of her many, _many_ chapters of excellent McKay whump!


	20. The Unending Labyrinth

Disclaimer – whatever

Now for another of ruthiemac's story suggestions (thanks and keep them coming!)…

**The Unending Labyrinth**

Sheppard flew the Puddle Jumper down towards the yawning entrance to the cave complex they had been tasked to investigate.

"According to the Ancient Database, there's a lab somewhere inside the caves. As usual, very helpfully, there is no information as to what's in the lab, or what they were researching," Rodney said as he looked out of the windscreen.

"All the more reason to go check it out," Ronon said.

McKay replied sounding annoyed, "For all we know they were investigating bat wing spans or watching the stalactites grow."

"Still sounds interesting," Sheppard said, suppressing his laughter.

Teyla smiled at the exchange, but decided not to join in.

Rodney just sighed as the Jumper flew inside the archway, marking the start of the caves. The daylight instantly turned to darkness. Sheppard turned on the Jumper's headlights and shone them ahead into the gloom. They could see masses of brown and green dripping rock all around the craft.

Rodney was still studying his tablet and frowning, "The scanners cannot penetrate into the complex to see if there are any energy readings within." He tapped a few more commands, "However, we should be able to see a few metres in front of us to avoid narrow sections and protruding structures."

As he spoke, Sheppard weaved the Jumper around a large stalagmite sticking up from the ground in the tunnel. He flew it too closely to the roof of the cave and disturbed the rest of hundreds of bats. Several hit the windscreen, leaving bloody trails and fur behind.

Rodney shuddered as he watched a small bat stuck on the window. After a while it slid across and fell off.

Teyla said, "Try to be more careful Colonel. We are not here to kill the indigenous creatures."

"Sorry Teyla, better to splat a few bats, than for _us_ to splat into the rocks."

"Maybe you should slow down a bit." Rodney had the tablet on his lap so that he could use both hands to steady himself on the control panel, "We don't want to spend too long picking bits of fur out of the engine pods when we get back."

Ronon smiled, "In that case, I'd rather you kept going, maybe there'll be something left we can pry out and eat."

Rodney turned in his chair to face Ronon and folded his arms across his chest; "Yes and the engines will probably ready cook it for you."

Ronon's face brightened, "Really? Excellent."

McKay just rolled his eyes and shook his head as he turned back to the front. He grabbed the edge of the control panel once more.

Sheppard brought up the HUD and they could see passages in the vicinity branching out from the main tunnel they were flying along. The Jumper had kept a record of the route they were taking, so that they would be able to get out.

Sheppard had already slowed down their progress. Not just for Rodney, but because the tunnel was becoming increasingly hazardous and narrow.

At one point he had to almost stop the craft to manoeuvre between large pillars of rock, which went from floor to ceiling in the cave. As he went by there was a slight scraping noise.

"Hey! Don't scratch the paintwork," Rodney shouted in indignation.

Sheppard gritted his teeth in concentration and soon they were clear.

After a few more minutes of tricky, but expert flying on Sheppard's part, they reached the end of the tunnel. Suddenly they were flying over an enormous subterranean lake.

"It's beautiful," Teyla exclaimed as they saw the structures hanging from the ceiling in different sizes. The lake underneath was clear blue where minerals had dissolved in the water.

The Jumper's headlights did not light up very much of the cavernous room they were in. They saw from the HUD that the area was many times the size of the small craft and there were several islands. Sheppard flew the Jumper around the cave a couple of times.

Halfway round the third pass, McKay held up his hand, "Stop a moment."

Sheppard obeyed, they were near the centre of the lake and below them the water was pitch black as the headlights only shone out into the darkness in front of them.

"Head over to this island. I'm detecting something," he pointed at the HUD.

"But we've already been past that one a couple of times."

"Humour me, okay?"

Sheppard spun the Jumper round and flew over to the island.

"There!" McKay pointed at the base of the island, which seemed to be constructed of many large and broken rock fragments.

"Is that the lab?" Teyla asked when she spotted what Rodney was pointing at.

There was a small glint of metal underneath the rocks.

McKay sighed and looked downcast, "Looks like ten thousand years in Moria had had a detrimental effect."

"Where's Moria?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard replied, "It's from Lord of the Rings. We can ask the Daedalus to bring back the DVD next time it swings by if you like."

"The entire lab has been crushed under the rock fall. There are no energy readings. I only picked it up because there's an anomalous metallic reading from the sensors."

Sheppard examined the HUD, "That's a shame. I suppose we should just head back then."

* * *

The Jumper flew along the tunnel once more, back the way they had come.

The mood in the craft was sombre, as they had wasted the whole trip.

Teyla leaned across as she noted that Rodney was looking sad and disappointed. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he shifted slightly. "Do not worry, Dr McKay. We know now that there is nothing here to investigate. There are many more Ancient labs in this galaxy."

Ronon chuckled, "Yeah, it's quite disappointing not to be able to download that data on wing spans."

Sheppard smiled, but McKay just grimaced.

They were halfway back to the exit when the HUD flashed red.

Rodney was shaken from his torpor and stared at the HUD in alarm. "Uh oh," he said, through poorly veiled panic, "Seismic alert!"

They all watched in horror as the tunnel ahead of them began to destabilise. Rocks fell from the ceiling of the cave and smashed into the ground. Pillars and walls cracked and shifted as fault lines made themselves known.

Sheppard did a good job moving the Jumper in between the hazards. However, he could not avoid every hit and it was not long before the shields were drained and rocks and boulders began hitting and bouncing off the small craft.

The inertial dampeners took the strain for a few seconds, before they too became overstretched and the occupants of the Jumper soon began to get rattled and pushed around in their seats from every impact.

"What have I told you about dents before, Colonel?" Rodney said, his voice rising in fear.

The earthquake had nearly finished and was beginning to diminish when a large stalactite from the roof of the cave split at the base and fell in front of the Jumper.

Sheppard tried the weave to the left, but did not quite make it. The mass of rock slammed into the passenger side of the front windscreen. The glass shattered inwards and the craft spun down to the ground, smashing into the walls of the tunnel several times before it came to rest. It was heavily dented and there were large hull breaches where the rock had ripped the metal open like a can opener.

* * *

Rodney groaned when he woke up in the pitch black. It was so dark that he could not even see himself. He moved an arm across and winced as stinging pain ran across his skin. He undid a pocket on his tac vest and wrinkled his nose at how sticky his fingers were when he grabbed his torch.

He fumbled for a moment as his hand was numb and flicked the light on.

He looked up and found that he was lying on his back on the floor of cockpit in the Jumper. Something hard was digging into his side. He moved the light around above him, and took in the shadowed sharp edges of the smashed glass, which had once been a windscreen. There was no power and no other light sources.

He vaguely remembered being showered by glass, which tore and bit into his skin, even through the tac vest. He had thrown up his arms to protect his head as the stalactite had hit his side of the windscreen. He remembered the feeling of his arms being ripped to shreds. Then he was thrown from his seat as the inertial dampeners gave up when they spun down. Everything had then gone very dark suddenly. He did not even remember the impact.

He coughed and shuddered as a pain tore across the front of his chest. He carefully lifted up the hand he could still feel and laid it down on his front. He felt dampness soaking through his clothes and a sharp gash splitting his tac vest. He lifted the hand away and shone the light into the palm. He found it was bright red with blood. "Um… Ow?" he muttered and shivered violently.

The object digging into his side began to move and moan at Rodney's sudden shuddering.

"What happened?" A female voice said in the dull torchlight.

The pressure on Rodney's side went away completely and he rolled so that his whole back was flat against the deck of the Jumper. He cried out and whimpered as it pulled his chest and he felt a terrible splitting sensation and the warm dampness increased.

"Oh Rodney! Are you alright?" Teyla asked.

He panted, trying not to shift his ribcage too much, "I'm cut up quite badly I think. What about John and Ronon?"

"Hang on a moment and do not try to move." Teyla said.

Rodney soon saw a second light joining his and heard Teyla moving around in the craft. A few seconds later he heard groans and Sheppard's voice, "I'm fine, I think. I must have banged my head on the control panel."

Ronon spoke too, "Don't worry, it's just a little cut."

Rodney could feel himself slipping away as he lay there feeling abandoned and thinking that they were ignoring him completely as he silently bled to death.

Teyla spoke again, "I am glad that you are both alright, however Rodney is badly hurt."

"_Oh, great,"_ he thought_, "If Teyla thinks it's bad, I'm really in trouble."_

Sheppard loomed over him and shone a torch across his body lying prone on the floor. Sheppard had a bloody gash along his forehead and a slightly dazed expression, which hardened as he looked down at McKay.

"Keep still Rodney, we'll soon fix you up."

As he spoke McKay saw Teyla handing him a pair of scissors.

Rodney closed his eyes and turned his face to the side, when he felt the cold blade tracking along his skin as Sheppard cut his clothes away.

The material pulled horrendously against the sticky blood leaking from Rodney's many cuts and gashes as Sheppard removed his sodden shirt. He shook and writhed from the agony. He felt a hand on his forehead and in his hair. He opened his eyes to see Teyla looking down at him reassuringly, "You are being very brave Rodney. Just a little longer."

Ronon was hovering over them all shining a torch down on the whole procedure, "Looks like it's cut right to the bone," he said raising his eyebrows as he studied the gash across Rodney's chest.

Sheppard replied hotly, "Ronon!"

Rodney's eyes watered in pain and he shrunk back when Sheppard pressed a bandage against his chest. Teyla took her hand from his forehead and carefully checked his sliced up arms for shards of glass before wrapping them from the hands all the way up to his shoulders.

"Oh God, it hurts! Don't you have any painkillers?" Rodney muttered through gritted teeth.

Sheppard replied quietly, "Maybe in a minute McKay, if we can get this ship off the ground."

Ronon kept watch, his face impassive, as his team mates tried to stop the bleeding.

The torchlight cast ghostly shadows on everyone's faces as they worked.

"Help me sit him up, so that I can wrap this around," Sheppard said as he placed a second bandage on McKay's chest.

Ronon handed the torch to Teyla, who had just finished wrapping Rodney's arms. He then crouched down and put his hands under the scientist's shoulders. Heaving him upright, Rodney gave a weak cry and leant back heavily into Ronon's arms.

Sheppard quickly rolled the bandage around his back and crossed it at the front.

Ronon lowered him gently back down onto the deck.

Rodney had his eyes tightly closed and his teeth chattered as he shivered in the cool and damp air of the cave, which was leaking in through the open windscreen. Teyla grabbed a blanket and wrapped him up tightly. Before she finished, she could see that the bandages on his chest and arms were already stained pink and getting darker.

Sheppard walked over to his chair. Rodney was lying on the floor in the middle of the cockpit. He tried to activate the systems in the dark, but nothing happened.

He got up and carefully stepped over Rodney and around Teyla and Ronon who were monitoring him and into the rear compartment of the Jumper.

He reached up and pulled down the crystal tray. None of them were lit.

"We're completely out of power," he said aloud. He glanced around the Jumper and noted holes in the craft ripped along the sides where it had hit the tunnel walls.

Teyla looked up from Rodney, who was close to unconsciousness and still shivering, "We will not be missed for a few more hours. How are going to signal the rescue team?"

Sheppard thought about it, but did not come up with any solution. McKay had said earlier that no signals or readings could get through the rocks. As the power system had been damaged they could not transmit a signal anyway.

"They will look for us. They have the location of these caves as we found it in the Ancient Database. We just have to become more visible," Sheppard said.

Ronon was watching Rodney's pale face. He stood up and turned to Sheppard, "What about lighting a fire? There should be some stuff we can use in here."

Sheppard shook his head, still shrouded in darkness, but the torchlight showed the motion, "If the tunnel has collapsed, the smoke would suffocate us. Also, I want to keep all the supplies intact, just in case. I was thinking more on the lines of one of us waiting outside and listening with flares ready. When the rescue ship comes we light the flare and they should see us."

Teyla added, "They should be able to detect our life signs as well when they get closer."

* * *

Ronon took first watch out in the damp cave. He had to climb through the broken windscreen to get out, as the rear hatch was too twisted to open, and without power, opening it was impossible anyway. He stood in the cool water flowing over the ground in the tunnel and stared into the darkness without flinching.

Sheppard and Teyla sat next to Rodney in the Jumper. McKay was unconscious, very pale and cool to touch. Sheppard had already placed an oxygen mask over his face and checked the bandage on his chest. The bleeding had almost stopped, but there was a great risk of infection in the damp cave air.

Teyla laid a hand on Rodney's forehead every now and then, while Sheppard checked his pulse. It was rapid and weak against his fingertips, "Hold on Rodney, we'll have you out of here soon."

* * *

Ronon did not come back to swap shifts. After only an hour he called out and the cave in front of the smashed Jumper windscreen lit up with a faint red glow, indicating that a flare had been lit.

Sheppard gratefully heard the whine of another Puddle Jumper's engines as it approached. He put his hand on the top of his friend's head to avoid the injuries, "I knew we'd get out of here eventually."

There were mumbling voices coming from outside the Jumper. Sheppard could hear a Scottish voice echoing loudly around the tunnel.

Sheppard was not surprised but nonetheless very happy when he saw Carson's face peering down at him through the smashed windscreen. Beckett frowned and sighed, "What's Rodney done to himself this time?" He pushed the end of a stretcher through the window, "Do you think you can put him on this and help lift him out of the Jumper?" He looked warily around at the jagged edges of the windscreen, "Only I don't fancy climbing inside around this broken glass."

Teyla and Sheppard both stood up and loaded Rodney onto the field stretcher. They strapped him down securely and passed him out to a couple of marines who were assisting Beckett.

Sheppard and Teyla then scrambled out of the window as well and followed their injured friend into the back of the Jumper hovering nearby.

Sheppard sat in the co-pilot's seat next to Major Lorne who quickly flew them along the tunnel as soon as everyone was aboard.

Beckett was working on Rodney in the rear compartment. He threaded IV lines into both of McKay's arms. Then he set about replacing the soaked bandages around the cuts on his arms and chest. Without a blood transfusion, he decided not to remove the glass he saw glinting dangerously in some of the injuries. This would only start the bleeding again, which Sheppard's team had done a good job to stop.

They had only been about a mile from the exit and soon the tunnel began to get brighter. Sheppard squinted his eyes when they burst from the cave and out into the brilliant sunlight.

* * *

Beckett gave Rodney a blood transfusion back in Atlantis' infirmary and spent a long time removing lots of shards of bright red, blood-covered glass from McKay's many cuts.

He expertly sewed up all the injuries and wrapped him in bandages.

Sheppard sat with him after the procedure was finished, reading a book and looking up every now and then to study his friend's pale face.

After a few hours, Rodney moaned and shivered, "Ow that still really hurts, although I seem to be alive, which can only mean…" He opened his eyes and looked up at the infirmary ceiling and then across at Sheppard's grinning face.

"Even with all the drugs I'm sure Carson is pumping through my system; it still feels like someone had a good go over me with a cheese grater."

Sheppard winced at the comparison, but steadied himself to speak again after a few seconds; "Zelenka found a link in the Ancient Database to another article about the cave. It mentioned something about it being abandoned due to seismic activity. That's why we only had to wait an hour after we crashed. He told Weir and she immediately green lit a party to fly out and check up on us."

Rodney grimaced and tilted his head back, "Don't suppose it said what they were studying?"

Sheppard shook his head, "No."

"What about the wrecked Jumper?" Rodney asked sadly.

"Zelenka's rigging a couple of Jumper's to go down there and grapple it back to the gate. Although he reckons it will only be so many spare parts for the other Jumpers now."

"Well we always seem to need those don't we?" McKay said weakly as he fell asleep again.

Sheppard thought, _"We sure do!"_ He shook his head again and returned to reading his book.

* * *

A/N – Someone at work actually told me he spent ages picking bits of fur and stuff out the front of his car after he hit a badger. I replied, "Um…Niiiiiice!"

Thanks for reading! Reviews make me very happy. x Varda x


	21. T Minus Ten

Disclaimer – whatever

And for my next trick…

**T Minus Ten**

The man sat in a darkened room monitoring the video feed from the Gateroom. He let the annoying and high-pitched voice wash over him and narrowed his eyes in fury.

_"We have to go back. The energy reading was so high it must be a charged ZedPM."_

_"McKay, they had spears and arrows and didn't seem to be afraid to use them. We're lucky we got away at all. I'm not sending anyone back, even if there are ten fully charged and unused ZPMs."_

Teyla said calmly, _"We could ask the Daedalus to investigate next time it is in this galaxy."_

The man let his features twist into an evil grin, "This is just perfect," he muttered and began rocking with laughter.

Rodney huffed, _"What about taking a Puddle Jumper?"_

_"I said no, McKay. Anyway there are trees too close to the gate. It would be very difficult to get through."_

Rodney folded his arms across his chest_, "Difficult, yes, but not impossible."_

Ronon just stood by them all impassively.

The man watched as Dr Weir came down the stairs in the Gateroom, _"Is there a problem gentlemen?"_

Rodney gave Sheppard a petulant look and then sighed, _"The Colonel just passed up on a potentially massive power source."_

Sheppard frowned, _"We're lucky we weren't killed or seriously injured. They attacked us when we'd only gone a few hundred metres from the gate."_

Weir raised her eyebrows, _"I want you all to drop off your gear and meet up in the briefing room in ten minutes."_

The man shut down the feed and began adjusting his plan for the new information he had just gleaned. He pulled a laptop over and began entering some more code on the program he had spent the last month working on.

* * *

It took a lot of work for Weir to stop the bickering between Sheppard and McKay in the briefing. She agreed to send the Daedalus by the planet next time, if only to stop the arguing for now.

"I'm not sending people to that planet to die," Sheppard said after a long pause.

"Even if it means we could protect ourselves against a Wraith fleet for a month?"

Sheppard frowned, "There's no guarantee it was a ZPM anyway. For all we know it was a radioactive rock pool in the middle of their village."

Ronon chuckled, "Might explain why they were so crazy, before we even said anything to them."

McKay opened his mouth to protest, but Weir cut across him, "I agree with both of you. I do not wish to send anyone back through the gate, but it's too much of an opportunity to pass up. The Daedalus will be here in a week. They can go and have a look."

Rodney folded his arms across his chest and sighed. He decided not to continue with his case. If a fleet of Wraith Hive ships turned up on their doorstep within the next week he was sure Weir and Sheppard would change their minds.

Dr Weir thought that the silence in the room meant that she could feel confident that her final decision had been accepted. She was just about to start discussing their next mission, when her radio buzzed, _"Dr Weir to the Control Room."_

"Excuse me please," she said standing up and leaving the room. The rest of the team followed her.

A technician working at one of the panels beckoned her over, "Ma'am, we have just received a message on the citywide comm system."

He pointed down at the screen, where a message was flashing in red.

"There is a bomb in Atlantis. It will detonate in ten hours."

The team stood in silence watching the screen.

After a few seconds McKay spoke, "Have you been able to trace the source?"

The technician looked guilty, "No Sir."

Rodney roughly pushed him aside and began working on the laptop. The message disappeared as he worked through some lines of code.

Dr Weir turned to the technician, "Was there anything else in the message? Any demands or reason."

"No Ma'am. That's all we've got. Also you may like to know that this message has been sent to every terminal in the city."

Weir looked slightly horrified; it would not be long before panic set in. She turned to Sheppard, "I want you to organise some search parties to fan out and look for the device. Also lock down all non-essential personnel in their quarters."

Sheppard tapped his radio and began sorting out parties to do as Weir had asked. He requested Teyla and Ronon to head up a couple of the teams.

After they all left, Weir was left with Rodney. He was frantically typing on the laptop, his eyes unblinking as he tried to find the elusive data. He sighed in exasperation.

Weir put a hand on his back and gazed at the screen where he was working, "Do you have anything?"

He stopped typing for a second and turned sideways to look at her, "Whoever did this is really good. I've got nothing so far. It looks like they sent the signal through several terminals before broadcasting it out to every computer in the city. If I go down to my lab I may be able to backtrack through all the computers and find the origin of the message."

Weir straightened up, "Okay, but be careful."

"Hmm," Rodney grimaced and unplugged the laptop, tucking it under his arm as he quickly walked over to the transporter.

* * *

The man laughed and rocked as he watched the monitor in darkened room.

He had the military crawling around the city like ants. People were in panic and now he had McKay wrapped around his finger. Everything was perfect. The bomb in the city idea was a stroke of genius and it would take McKay too long to trace the source of the signal, which was a public terminal anyway.

Now for the next stage of the plan; he got up from his seat and headed out into the corridor. He was considered an essential member of the expedition, so was not stopped as he walked past marines running in the opposite direction and headed up to the Jumper Bay.

* * *

Rodney sat alone in his lab; several cups of half drunk coffee littered the desk. He put his head in his hands for a second and rubbed his tired eyes, willing them to focus as he worked through the decoy terminals he had found while he tried to trace the source of the signal.

The rest of his team were working in the main lab, but Rodney preferred the silence so that he could concentrate.

His radio buzzed, _"Dr McKay to the Jumper Bay."_

Rodney did not recognize the voice, "I'm kind of busy at the moment," he snapped.

_"It's very important. We've found something."_

"Can't you call Sheppard or something?"

_"No Sir, you need to see this. I think we've found the source of the signal."_

Rodney brightened up; at last his search would be over, "Okay, I'll see you in a minute."

"_Hurry,"_ came the reply.

Rodney picked up the laptop and headed out of his lab to the transporter.

* * *

Rodney walked across the Jumper Bay.

"Over here Doctor," a voice called from one of the Jumpers.

Rodney sighed and went towards the voice. When he stepped through the hatch he saw the Jumper had been modified in some way. There were tangles of wires hanging down from the ceiling and snaking around the cockpit. He saw a man lying on the floor under the pilot's control panel.

"Oh, thank God," he said when he saw Rodney ducking down to get past the wires. Standing up he went over to McKay and smiled.

Rodney did not like the look he was getting. It seemed to be a grin, but there was no happiness in the man's eyes.

"Aren't you just a technician? Uh…" McKay thought for a moment, "Paulines?"

"Pollins, Sergeant Pollins," his smile spread further at Rodney's mistake.

"Why would they have you searching for the bomb?" Rodney said frowning as the evil smile stayed frozen on the man's face.

"Well, you know, the more people searching the better. Anyway I think this is the source of the signal sent around the base earlier. Come and check it out."

Pollins pointed towards the pilot's chair and Rodney sighed as he sat down and brought up the HUD.

After a second he raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You're absolutely right. The signal was sent from here, but…oh no."

Rodney got up from the chair and tried to move past Pollins, who was now not troubling to hide the madness in his eyes and face.

"Hey! Move it!" McKay said in alarm.

Pollins brought back his fist and punched Rodney hard in the stomach.

McKay coughed and spluttered as he doubled over in pain. Pollins responded by pushing the backs of Rodney's shoulders down and lifting his knee up to connect with McKay's face.

Rodney gasped and fell onto the floor, blood streaming from his nose and split lip.

The man crouched down and grabbed McKay's jaw. Rodney cried out in pain as he was forced to look up into the insane face of his attacker.

"Why?" Rodney asked in a choked whisper.

"You, Dr McKay, are the only one who stands between my masters and the conquest of Atlantis. Many times now you have evaded the Wraith and prevented them from gaining control of this facility. With you out of the picture there will be nothing to stop them."

McKay said thickly, as his nose was now blocked with blood, "Wraith worshipper." He frowned, "But what about the bomb?"

Pollins laughed and let go of McKay's face. He reached behind his back and when his hand returned to the front he was holding a couple of ropes. "There's no bomb on Atlantis, Dr McKay. This was all about you. As soon as you're gone, I shall be sending another message that it was all a hoax. They will think you ran away and went back to that planet to gather your precious ZPMs."

Rodney tried to roll away and stand up, so Pollins backhanded him across the side of his face and he passed out.

He dragged Rodney over and sat him in the pilot's seat of the Jumper. He tied McKay's hands behind his back and removed his radio. Just to be sure he tied a gag around McKay's mouth and then pulled the unconscious scientist's short hair to make it look like he was sitting upright in the seat.

Sergeant Pollins typed a command into the program he created and set the timer for ten minutes. That should be enough time for the Jumper to get through the gate and be a long way away before the time ran out and the engines overloaded.

He walked over to the hatch and smiled at his handiwork. He looked over the trailing wires he had just pulled down to make sure even if Rodney woke up there would be no way for him to prevent the overload.

He pressed the final command on his tablet and retreated to a safe distance to watch the fun. He had rigged the Control Room to record the same address for the planet the team had returned from earlier. By the time they figured out what he had done, Rodney would be long gone and dead.

His features stretched out into a smile as he watched the countdown timer in the corner of his tablet.

09.23…09.22…09.21…

He chuckled as he heard voices over the video feed he monitored, _"Rodney what are you doing? You have to help us find the bomb. We already told you that planet was too dangerous!"_ Dr Weir was standing on the balcony looking at the back of the Jumper, which was lowering into the Gateroom.

"_Shut it down,"_ she said to the technician.

_"I'm sorry Ma'am. I can't."_

Then the Jumper flew through the gate and disappeared.

Pollins rocked with more laughter and checked the clock again.

08.48…08.47…08.46…

"Not long now," he muttered and got up to walk back to his quarters. He did not care if he was caught. Rodney had less than nine minutes to live and by the time they figured out who had done it he would already have been blown to tiny pieces. Pollins had found a delightful desolate wasteland to send him in the Ancient Database.

* * *

The Jumper left the gate on the planet and flew away on autopilot across the landscape. Surrounded by mountains and rocks with a scattering of trees; onward it flew at high speed.

Rodney slumped forward in his seat and fell out onto the floor when his precarious balance failed. His face was streaked with drying blood, which had recently been flowing from his nose and mouth. Bound and gagged he lay there, unconscious and unaware that he only had a few more minutes to live. All the time the clock ticked down.

06.37…06.36…06.35…

* * *

TBC

Oh dear, that was a bit evil of me…

Reviews always make me write faster...so if you want to keep your finger nails...thanks!


	22. T Minus Ten Part II

Disclaimer – whatever

Thanks for all your reviews! And now the conclusion…

**T Minus Ten Part II**

Elizabeth watched as the Jumper Bay above the Gateroom opened. She turned to the technician next to her, "Who's in that Puddle Jumper?"

"I'm reading one life sign. It's Dr McKay."

"Can you see where he's going?"

"Back to the planet they visited earlier."

Weir baulked at this revelation and tapped her radio, "Rodney what are you doing? You have to help us find the bomb. We already told you that planet was too dangerous!"

She walked over to the balcony, but the windscreen of the Jumper was already facing the gate and all she saw was the rear hatch. She quickly turned to the technician, "Shut it down."

He looked up at her and shook his head, "I'm sorry Ma'am. I can't."

She turned and watched in helplessness as the Jumper flew through the gate and it shut down.

Weir kept staring at the deactivated gate and her mind ticked over. There was something more sinister going on here and something was definitely very wrong.

She activated her radio and called Rodney's team and Dr Zelenka to the briefing room. There was still eight hours left before their deadline expired and there had still been no more messages from the bomber or any demands, which was unusual.

* * *

Shock reverberated around the briefing room as Weir told them what Rodney had just done.

Teyla frowned, "That is very unlike Dr McKay. He, more than any of us, would never run at a time like this."

Sheppard added, "He always stays until the bitter end, even when it seems that there's no hope." He smiled, "And that's when he saves the day."

Zelenka was studying Weir's face, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure that there is a bomb on Atlantis. I believe it may have been a diversion. Radek, can you bring up the video feed in Rodney's lab please."

Zelenka pushed his glasses up his nose and typed a few commands into his laptop. They all turned to watch the main screen.

He rewound the video to show Rodney sitting at his laptop and rubbing his face. They heard him speaking on the radio, but could only hear his side of the conversation, which was no help.

Zelenka changed the feed to the corridor and they watched McKay walk up the corridor to the transporter.

Weir turned to Zelenka, "Let's assume he went straight to the Jumper Bay."

The feed switched again and they saw the view from above in the Jumper Bay. They waited a few more seconds and Rodney appeared. He reacted to something and walked over and disappeared as he walked through the hatch into a Jumper.

"Is there a way to turn up the volume?" Sheppard asked, as they could no longer hear anything.

"I'm sorry Colonel, but it goes no louder than this." Zelenka replied, frowning.

They all watched the video tensely but there was no sound or movement for a couple of minutes.

Suddenly a man walked out from the Jumper, with a tablet in his hand. He was not even troubling to cover his face from the camera.

Sheppard sat bolt upright in his chair, "Pause it!"

Zelenka was ahead of him and chose the perfect moment to stop the playback. He zoomed into the face.

"Hey, I recognize him," Ronon said.

Weir pressed her lips together into a thin line, "We all do. That's Sergeant Tony Pollins. He's one of our gate technicians."

Teyla looked upset, "What do you think he did to Rodney?"

"There's only one way to find out." Sheppard tapped his radio, "Security detail to Sergeant Pollins' quarters. We'll meet you on the way."

Weir asked, "Do you think he will have gone back to his room?"

Sheppard looked grim, "He obviously didn't mind being seen by the camera, which doesn't bode well for Rodney."

* * *

Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla stood outside the Sergeant's quarters with stun guns ready. Sheppard nodded to them and rearranged the door crystals to gain access.

The door opened and they went inside, followed by a group of marines.

The room was dark and they immediately saw a solitary figure sitting on the bed. His face was lit up by the blue light emanating from the tablet laid across his lap.

They could see a maniacal grin spread across his face as he stared at the screen and ignored the marines as they swarmed around the room and aimed their weapons at him.

Sheppard noted that he was unarmed and walked over. He grabbed the tablet from the man's lap and looked at the screen in horror. He turned it to show Teyla and Ronon.

00.03…00.02…00.01…0.00

Teyla put a hand over her mouth.

Sheppard rounded on Pollins, "What did you do? Where's the bomb?"

Pollins looked up at Sheppard, his eyes filled with mirth, "There's no bomb on the base, Colonel. At least not anymore."

Teyla looked between them, "What do you mean?" Realisation slowly dawned on her face and her eyes widened, "Oh no! Rodney!"

* * *

04.13…04.12…04.11…

Rodney groaned and opened his eyes. His head was pounding and he could hardly breathe as his nose was blocked and he had a piece of rope tied around his mouth. He looked at the ceiling of the Jumper and then his eyes widened and he winced as he frowned when he saw the blue sky through the windscreen. He rolled his head to the side and noted the wires trailing all around in the rear compartment.

He rolled over onto his side and shut his eyes tightly as his bound arms began to get feeling back in them where he had been lying on them.

He struggled to get his feet under him. Fortunately the technician had not tied them together. McKay was furious that a technician, of all the people, on the base, had outwitted him. He used his anger to try and block out the headache, but it just made it worse.

Rodney dragged his feet as he staggered across the Jumper and sat in the pilot's chair, leaning forward to avoid crushing his arms again. He chewed the rope in his mouth, but it was too thick to release. He saw towering mountains and deep chasms of rock out of the windscreen as they sped by.

He relied on his ATA gene to operate the controls. He brought up the HUD and it instantly flashed red. He frowned and willed it to change into a diagnostic program.

"Uuuh ooo," he mumbled through the gag. He could see that there was an engine overload in progress. He had less than four minutes before the Jumper was going to be destroyed. With his hands, he may have been able to stop it. Although he reasoned that the technician had not pulled all the wires down in the rear compartment for fun, but for the purpose of preventing a certain brilliant scientist from thwarting his plan.

McKay quickly deactivated the autopilot and turned the craft around. He sped it back towards the gate at top speed. It seemed that the technician had not been able to find a way to push the autopilot program to fly this fast.

Rodney hoped he would make it back in time.

He coughed and shuddered as his head let out an angry throb. He bit down on the gag again, but this time it was in pain.

01.46…01.45…01.44…

Rodney willed the Jumper to go even faster. He could see that there was no way he would be able to make it back to Atlantis now or deactivate the overload, which he estimated was imminent in less than two minutes.

Instead he planned to get as close to the gate as possible and make a dash for it. He could hear an audible whine growing inside the cockpit as the engines became hotter and closer to their ultimate demise.

He frowned up at the HUD. He was still several miles away from the gate, but he could no longer risk staying in the Jumper.

01.17…01.16…01.15…

Rodney guided the Jumper down to the ground and promised another bout of unhindered praise to the Ancients later, if he survived, for the inertial dampeners as he slammed the craft down into the ground at a bone breaking speed.

He opened the rear hatch and stood up on shaky legs. He backed up against the wall in the cockpit and grabbed a portable scanner in his bound hands.

He checked the HUD one last time, less than a minute, and then he ran.

Ducking under the leads he left the rear hatch and dashed as fast as he could away from the doomed Jumper.

He made slow progress along the rocky and uneven ground. There were several sorry looking shrubs along the route.

After just a few seconds, Rodney found it terribly hard going. He struggled to breathe through the gag and his head pained him with every footfall. He wished he could stop for just a moment and find a nice sharp rock to free his arms.

It was incredibly awkward trying to run with his arms pinned behind him. He held the scanner more tightly and hoped he was running towards the gate. He dodged and wove between boulders. He kept his head down looking at the ground and making sure he did not trip.

After a while he was nearly completely spent and walking very slowly taking in shallow breaths through the choking gag. He heard the Jumper exploding nearby and was lifted off his feet as the shockwave went over him. He cried out as he was slammed forwards into a nearby rock and lost consciousness.

He fell limply onto the ground and lay in an unmoving heap. A trickle of blood soaked through the gag and ran down his face. More blood blossomed across his shirt and pooled on the ground underneath him.

* * *

Sheppard stood facing McKay's killer in the dark of the man's quarters. A frown was creasing his forehead and he had to turn away from the look of triumph Sergeant Pollins' had on his face.

"Take him to the brig, before I do something I'll regret," Sheppard said to the marines behind him.

They moved forward and grabbed Pollins' arms, heaving him off the bed and pulling him towards the door. He turned and looked at Sheppard, "I thought I would get away with it. Dr McKay strikes me as a man who would run away in a crisis."

Ronon raised his eyebrows, "If that's what you think, then you don't know him at all. We saw right through your plan straight away."

Sheppard looked away trying to hide his emotions, Rodney was already dead. There had just not been enough time to save him.

"It doesn't matter now anyway does it Colonel? My mission is complete. When the Wraith next come, your Dr McKay will not be able to save the city," he grinned and chuckled, "Because he is dead."

Sheppard did not know what happened next. When his vision cleared he saw Pollins lying on the floor holding his jaw, but still smiling in madness. Teyla put a restraining hand on Sheppard's shoulder as the marines picked the Sergeant off the floor and quickly took him away. Ronon growled and used all his willpower to stop himself from launching an all out attack on Pollins.

"I'm so sorry John," Teyla said breathlessly, looking him in the eyes, "But abusing his killer would not be what Rodney would have wanted, nor will it bring him back."

Sheppard frowned and grimaced, but Ronon said what he was thinking, "I bet it felt good though. Even if it was only for a second."

Teyla guided him out of Sergeant Pollins' quarters towards the transporter. Ronon followed.

"Where are we going?" Sheppard asked.

"I have a suggestion to make to Dr Weir," Teyla said, "I know you probably will not like it, but it may be of help to you."

* * *

Rodney choked and spluttered through his gag. His nose was too blocked to smell the smoke in the air, but there was a strong metallic taste was in the back of his throat. He kept his eyes tightly closed and rolled onto his side.

He instantly regretted it, as his entire body screamed out in agony. The pain was so great he nearly passed out again.

He forced his eyes open and tried to focus on the landscape around him. He could make out some large brown and grey objects. As they came into focus he saw that they were rocks. It was also still daylight.

He noted that he was still bound and gagged and was surprised that he was still alive. The scanner he had been holding was no longer in his hands. He could not understand why he still had not been rescued. Surely Sheppard and Weir would have seen through the technician's 'bomb on Atlantis' decoy. Why had they not come to save him yet?

Rodney furrowed his brow and shut his eyes again. He felt so alone. He had no idea how long he had been out. When he opened them again, he frowned and steeled himself. As Sheppard and the others had not come, he would have to save himself.

He wriggled and dragged himself backwards along the ground with gritted teeth as his injuries made themselves known once more due to the movement. His eyes watered and he gasped sharp and shallow breaths through the gag still across his face.

After a few agonizing seconds he felt a sharp rock against his arms. He shifted his wrists up and methodically worked the rope against the edge.

By the time he finished, he was close to losing consciousness again. He could feel there was definitely something wrong inside him, but the only solution to that was to work faster and get back to Atlantis as quickly as possible.

When he finally freed his aching arms, he pulled the gag in his mouth down around his neck and lay down on the ground. He shuddered as needles of pain dug deeply into his back. Frowning he rolled onto his side and curled up with his hands on his chest. He coughed again and grimaced as blood came up into his mouth. He spat it out onto the ground.

He lay there shivering until the worst of the pain passed. He thought that maybe some debris from the explosion had caught him in the back as he was pushed forwards.

"Come on McKay!" He said to himself.

"No-one's coming to save you. Gotta get back to Atlantis and stop that crazy Paulines guy from planting a real bomb and killing everyone."

Rodney rolled onto all fours and looked around. He saw his portable scanner laying a few metres away against one of the rocks. He crawled over to it and picked it up. He could see ugly, bleeding marks on his wrists where the rope had been. There were also some nasty cuts along his arms, which had made his entire arms shiny with blood.

The scanner was still working and came to life when Rodney picked it up. He studied the tiny screen and quickly reconfigured it. Soon he could see the Stargate on the display. It was two miles away.

"Okay, could be worse," he said through gritted teeth, "Actually I can't think of anything worse. Stumbling, bleeding and dying for two miles is not really my idea of a great time."

He let himself smile savagely, "But who will save the city otherwise? I doubt whether Radek would be able to hold himself together the next time the Wraith show up."

He soon regretted talking when he was wracked by another bout of coughing. Through the splutters he groaned and dropped the scanner as he held both forearms against his midsection and keeled over sideways to lie on the ground once more.

When the blinding pain diminished to a dull throb he rolled over onto all fours once more, he swept the scanner up into his right hand and pushed himself upright.

He swayed slightly and had to lean forward in an attempt to minimise the pain in his chest and torso. He staggered a few faltering steps and then put a hand against one of the rocks to steady himself. He dragged in a few rapid breaths and looked down at his feet as he began to move slowly and painfully towards the gate.

As Rodney plodded onward, he tried to keep his mind occupied to block out the all-encompassing agony he was putting himself through. He thought back to what the technician had said to him as he lay on the deck of the Jumper, before that final punch had caught him in the side of the head. The man had said he would make it look like Rodney was running away. McKay frowned at the memory and then a horrible thought came to him.

Even if it killed him, he would have to get back to Atlantis to prove to them all that he would never run away. What would Weir, Sheppard and the others think of him? They would go back to the planet the team visited earlier and have a look around. Not being able to find him, they would assume that he had immediately redialled to another address. They must all think he was such a coward. No wonder no-one had bothered to send a rescue party. Even after everything he had done for them. How many times had he saved the city and proven beyond a doubt that actions spoke louder than his callous and sarcastic remarks?

His mouth turned down in sadness and his body finally gave up, as his mind spiralled into misery. He collapsed onto the ground again, only a stone's throw from the gate and passed out.

* * *

Sheppard flew the Jumper and began his second pass around the planet they had visited earlier in the day. It had clearly shown in the Atlantis stargate log that this was where Pollins had sent McKay.

Sheppard sighed and frowned in frustration.

"Have you found anything, John?" Teyla asked from the co-pilot's seat.

Sheppard did not like her sitting in the chair Rodney usually occupied, but had not voiced his feelings. "No. There's nothing. No sign of his subcutaneous transmitter."

Ronon muttered, "Depends what kind of bomb he used."

Sheppard shuddered, but continued with his report, "I can't detect the black box either."

"What is a 'black box?'" Teyla asked

Sheppard waited for Rodney to answer in his usual sarcastic voice, perhaps with an extra jibe at the end of the explanation. Then he realised there would be no reply, "We put them in the Jumpers. They record all the data and send out a constant signal for us to track the Jumpers. They're pretty tough and would survive most things. Even…" his voice trailed off.

Teyla leaned across and put a hand on his arm, "Do not worry John. We will find him."

* * *

They continued to circle around the planet for two more hours. Ronon was restless and Teyla was also beginning to think that maybe they were in the wrong place. Sheppard kept his eyes glued on the HUD all the time in intense and fierce concentration.

Teyla was the one to break the silence, "I do not think he is here John." She put a hand on his shoulder when there was no reaction, "I think it would be better if we head back to Atlantis for now."

Sheppard's frown intensified as he continued to ignore Teyla.

"Hey," Ronon said, pushing Sheppard forward in his seat, "Teyla's right. Pollins tricked McKay into a trap. What's to say he isn't doing the same thing to us right now?"

Sheppard thought about it for a moment. They were both right of course, the man was obviously quite crafty to have them chasing after ghosts on the wrong planet while who knew what was going on back on Atlantis.

Sheppard's eyes widened and he sped them back to the gate at full speed, "Oh my…I've been so stupid! I'm really sorry."

Teyla smiled sadly, "It is alright John. We can ask Dr Zelenka to double check the gate address log."

* * *

Sheppard hastily parked the Jumper in the Bay and ran down the stairs into the Gateroom. Teyla and Ronon chased after him.

He ran over to Zelenka who was looking downcast and dejected as he studied at a schematic on his laptop.

"I want you to run a diagnostic on the gate, specifically looking for signs of tampering in the address recording log."

Zelenka frowned and sighed, "Alright Colonel. I don't suppose you are going to tell me why?"

"We couldn't find any trace of Rodney on the planet. Pollins may have altered the log to show a different address to the one he actually sent Rodney."

Zelenka raised his eyebrows and called up the data on his screen for the address the Puddle Jumper had gone to earlier.

He then narrowed his eyes as he looked through the data. Dr Weir had been in her office and walked over to the group.

"Did you find anything?" She asked Sheppard.

"No, but we had an idea."

Zelenka let out a small cry in triumph, "You're right! There are a few crude lines of code masking the true address."

Dr Weir frowned down at the data scrolling up the screen.

After a couple of minutes there was a line of gate symbols on the screen, "This is the address where actually Rodney went," Zelenka said turning around.

Sheppard was making ready to run back to the Jumper Bay again when a voice cut through the silence, "Unscheduled off-world activation!"

Weir immediately shook herself and turned to the gate as it erupted to life in the Gateroom below, "Activate the shield."

The technician obeyed and said, "We're not receiving an IDC."

Zelenka looked across at the DHD and did a double take with the symbols still on his laptop, "It's the same address!"

Weir reacted as fast as lightning, "Lower the shield!"

The technician reached across and shut down the shield just in time. A figure crawled through the event horizon and fell down to lie immobile, sprawled out on his front on the floor in the Gateroom. The gate shut down and Sheppard and his team ran down to the forlorn figure.

Weir tapped her radio, "Medical emergency in the Gateroom!"

Sheppard crouched down next to Rodney and winced at his blood soaked back. There were a few fragments of shrapnel protruding from his torn shirt. Sheppard reached down and felt for a pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt one.

Rodney stirred at the pressure on his neck and turned his head to the side to look up at Sheppard. "It was Sergeant Pollins," he gasped.

"Do not worry, Rodney. We already know," Teyla said.

Sheppard looked down at his friend incredulously, "We all thought you'd been killed."

Rodney smiled grimly, "And I thought you'd abandoned me. Had to crawl back to the gate and save myself in the end…

Ronon said, "We'd never do that, and you know it McKay."

Rodney closed his eyes and said, "By the way, there's no bomb in the city."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes, "How can you be sure?"

He replied weakly, "Why lie to a dead man?"

Rodney passed out again just before the medical team arrived and carted him off to the infirmary.

Sheppard smiled. It was over. Rodney was alive and Sergeant Pollins would be shipped back to Earth to face court marshal when the Daedalus arrived in a week.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you thought. Thanks! x Varda x


	23. The Brood

Disclaimer – Whatever

**The Brood**

"I wouldn't exactly call this a strange life form," Rodney said as he crouched down and studied a bright yellow lizard crawling on the ground.

The Jumper was parked a few metres away in a small clearing they had found in the forest.

Sheppard rested his hands on his P90. "McKay, we've only been here for a couple of minutes. Let's have a good look around first."

Teyla was gazing at the trees, "People from several planets have told us of strange creatures on this planet. It is too much of an opportunity for us not to look."

Ronon stood next to Teyla; his eyes darting around in between the trees, constantly alert for danger.

Suddenly a high pitched screech rent the air above them.

"What the hell was that!?" Rodney cried in alarm, standing up too quickly and swaying as his eyes widened.

Sheppard grinned, "Sounded like a 'strange creature.'"

Rodney gripped his P90 tightly and put a hand on his chest, "Damn near gave me a heart attack."

Sheppard put a hand on McKay's shoulder, "Come on, let's go."

Rodney scowled as he walked behind Sheppard away from the Jumper. Ronon and Teyla followed, still cautiously watching the trees and now the sky, which was visible between the branches high above.

* * *

The forest quickly thinned out as they walked and soon they were standing at the top of a downward sloping field. It rolled on and on into the distance where they could see mountains.

Teyla smiled, "This is most beautiful."

"Speak for yourself," Rodney muttered as he pointed his scanner towards a large green spider scuttling through the grass beneath their feet.

"What are they?" Ronon asked pointing into the distance.

Rodney straightened up and squinted across the field. After a few seconds he saw what Ronon was pointing at. There was a large herd of animals grazing at the edge of his vision. He grabbed his binoculars from a pocket on his tac vest and opened his mouth in surprise when he saw them clearly.

They each had eight legs and long swishing tails. Their skin or fur was green, like the spider he had recently seen, and had brown patches and stripes. At this distance he could not tell exactly how big they were.

Lowering his binoculars he turned to the others, "We should probably just send back a team of zoologists to study these things."

Sheppard smirked, "Why let them have all the fun? We should at least get a little closer and take some readings back for them."

Rodney opened his mouth to protest, but Sheppard patted his P90, "Don't worry, we won't get too close."

Rodney stayed silent as he reluctantly followed the others through the short swaying grass towards the creatures. They talked and laughed light heartedly as they walked.

* * *

Rodney had been watching his feet keeping an eye on the ground for any more of the spiders in case they tried to bite him when the others suddenly stopped in front of him. He looked up at them to see what was happening.

Immediately he saw what had made them stop. A flock of large birds were flying down from the mountains towards the animals in the field, which were still quite a long way off.

A screech came to their ears as a bird broke off from the main flock and swooped down on the herd. They scattered and begun running away from the attackers. More birds swooped down. Some were successful and flew back up with struggling creatures in their claws.

Teyla said, "They are eagles, but I have never seen such large birds before."

Rodney was nervously fiddling with his P90, "Are we safe?"

Sheppard turned to him, "Probably. They only seem to be interested in the herd and the herd itself is running away from us towards the mountains."

They all continued to stand still and watch the attack as it continued.

After a few minutes there was only one eagle left. Most of the herd had now run away and it swooped down in vain against a straggler. It screeched in annoyance and flew up high to get a better look at the field below. That was when it noticed Sheppard's team and dived down towards them.

Sheppard's eyes widened as the bird spotted them, "Run!" He shouted, shoving Rodney in the back to get him moving.

All four of them fired their guns at the enormous bird, but the shots did not faze it. They seemed to be being absorbed by the thick feathers covering the eagle.

It swooped down and lifted its feet out in front as it approached the team.

Sheppard quickly pushed Rodney off to the side as they both continued to fire at the overgrown eagle. Teyla and Ronon were already a little way off and not in danger of being hit by the creature.

The beady eyes had been focused on Sheppard and Rodney, but as they split up, it turned them to solely target McKay.

Rapidly the bird glided along close to the ground. It unfurled its claws and struck Rodney with the pads of its feet.

He cried out as he flew several feet through the air. He rolled over and over on the ground where he landed and lay panting with his arms wrapped around himself.

Ronon, Teyla and Sheppard saw that he was in trouble and ran over to where he was lying.

The bird had flown a short distance and whirled round in a tight loop to head back towards them. As it got closer it noticed the rest of the team running towards their fallen friend. It let out a loud screech and beat its wings using the downdraught to knock everyone who had been standing off their feet.

Sheppard cursed as he was lifted off the ground and blown backwards away from Rodney. He hit the ground and lay dazed for a moment. He rolled over onto his side just in time to see the huge bird digging its claws into the ground where Rodney had been lying.

The massive creature began flapping its wings to lift off and when it left the ground, Sheppard saw it had its sharp claws wrapped around McKay and it was carrying him away. Sheppard winced when he noted that he could not see the end of one of the claws as it stopped abruptly against Rodney's back where it was embedded in him.

Ronon and Teyla were back on their feet already and firing up at the retreating eagle.

Sheppard's eyes widened and he shouted, "Stop stop! You could hit Rodney or the bird might drop him!"

He stood up and assessed the situation, "We need to get back to the Jumper and go after them."

Teyla and Ronon both nodded and chased after the Colonel as he ran back up the field towards the forest.

* * *

Rodney kept his eyes tightly closed and clenched his teeth as he felt the air rushing over him. He could feel the steady rise and fall as the eagle holding him beat its wings as it flew. He could feel the tight claws wrapped around him and the P90 crushing into his chest.

He opened his mouth as he was finding breathing difficult as something painful was stuck in the right side of his back. He noted in growing horror that there was a foul metallic taste in his throat. He coughed and gagged, but the noises he made were quickly stifled as the grip the eagle had on him tightened and squeezed all the air from his lungs.

He was just about to pass out, when the pressure was abruptly released and he fell downwards landing heavily on his side. He cried out as something was ripped out of his back and more blood flowed up into his throat.

There was a loud chirruping noise nearby, which was quickly joined by several more noises and rustling sounds. Rodney spat blood and cracked his eyes open to find out what new nightmare he had arrived in.

Looking up from where he lay, his eyes widened in fear as he found himself surrounded by man sized eagle chicks.

"Oh great," he muttered, "I suppose this makes me a take away dinner."

He tried to move his right hand to find the trigger of his P90, but hissed in pain as it wrenched the wound on his back. Instead, he grasped it with his left hand and fired at the nearest bird as it lowered its head to try and peck him.

He hit it squarely between the eyes and its expression went immediately vacant as it fell over sideways.

The other chicks became a little fearful and backed away.

Rodney rolled onto his front and grimaced as he pushed himself upright. He noted that he was standing in the middle of a fairly large nest constructed of branches and dead leaves. To one side there was a looming rock face. The nest seemed to have been built on a ledge in the mountains they had seen earlier.

He moved his right hand round behind himself and pressed it against his back. When he drew it forward to study, he found it was covered with blood.

He doubled over and coughed again, feeling very dizzy.

The eagle chicks sensed his weakness and began to advance along the floor of the nest. Rodney looked up blearily and saw there were four of them left. He did not know where the mother was, and tried not to think about it as he levelled the P90 in his shaking left hand and fired off a few more rounds.

Two more of the chicks fell and the remaining two stopped in their tracks.

Rodney smiled savagely and grabbed a bandage from one of his tac vest pockets. He kept an eye on the two eagle chicks as they eyed him cautiously from the edge of the nest. He backed up to the opposite side of the nest and pressed the pad of the bandage against his back. He furrowed his brow as pain spread through him from the focal point. He let go of his gun for a moment and tied the loose ends of the bandage around his front. He pulled the bandage as tightly as he could, which made him fall down onto his knees gasping in pain.

The chicks, seeing the sudden vulnerability of their prey, began to advance again.

Rodney looked up from his position on the floor to see them coming towards him with their beaks open hungrily. He forced himself upright and fired his P90 at the nearest one. It fell down and the final chick stood still looking at him.

He was just about to pull the trigger and finish the last one off; when the mother came back.

It perched on the very edge of the nest and examined the carnage below. It saw the bodies of four of its chicks and screeched in fury. It turned its small and sharp eyes on Rodney who was pointing his P90 up at it while keeping an eye on the remaining chick. The giant eagle bent over and used the top of its beak to headbutt McKay in the chest.

Rodney fell over backwards and closed his eyes as he lost all his breath.

When he opened them again, the chick was standing over him and quickly it put a clawed foot on his chest, holding down his P90 so that Rodney could no longer use it. It then pecked at him. Rodney covered his face with his arms as he felt the chick attacking him.

* * *

Sheppard ran into the back of the Jumper, followed by Teyla and Ronon. He quickly shut the hatch and sat down in the pilot's chair.

He flew the Jumper off the ground and brought up the HUD. He quickly switched it to search for subcutaneous transmitters and spotted Rodney in the air a few miles away. He was being carried towards the mountains they had been admiring earlier.

The eagle was no match for the speed of the Jumper and they craft approached Rodney's location very quickly.

The craft glided over the field below where they had been a few minutes ago. They saw that there was a swift and wide river at the foot of the mountains.

Sheppard adjusted the HUD to show altitude, as Rodney had stopped moving as they got closer.

He flew up the side of the mountain and quickly spotted the nest where Rodney had been dropped off by the eagle.

As the craft approached they all watched as Rodney valiantly fought off the huge chicks trying to eat him.

Ronon asked, "Can't we just shoot them and go and get him?"

Teyla frowned, "We could hit Rodney with the drones."

Sheppard said, "Or we could blast the entire nest off the ledge. What we really need is a stun drone or something less powerful."

They watched in horror as the enormous mother came back and struck McKay in the chest. He fell backwards and landed heavily. The mother straightened up, but stayed perched on the edge of the nest to watch as its single remaining chick pecked into Rodney.

"Do something!" Teyla cried.

Sheppard's mind spun over in double time as he considered their options.

He raised the Jumper's shield and flew over to the large eagle still perched on the edge of the nest. "Ronon go and stand by the rear hatch and get your gun ready."

"But the large eagle is immune to all of our weapons," Teyla said.

"Don't worry I'll take care of it."

Sheppard manoeuvred the Jumper right next to the large eagle and it turned its head to look at the intruding craft. It flapped its wings and took off. Then swooped down at the ship. As its feet struck the shield it was shocked and screeched in surprise. It did not fall from the sky though but flew a short distance away in disgust.

Sheppard swung the Jumper round so that the rear hatch was facing towards the nest. He lowered the shield and opened the hatch.

"Okay, shoot that bird Ronon!" Sheppard shouted.

Ronon fired his blaster at the chick as it continued to tear off pieces of Rodney's clothes, occasionally coming up with blood on its beak.

The bird immediately stopped in its tracks and fell backwards with a smoking hole in its back.

Sheppard reversed the Jumper closer to Rodney and lowered it down as far as he dared.

Teyla and Ronon stepped out of the rear hatch and ran over to where Rodney was lying on the floor of the nest, visibly shaking and heavily bleeding from many injuries. The tremors soon stopped and he went completely limp as he passed out.

Teyla covered Ronon with her P90, keeping a watchful eye just in case the mother returned. Ronon bent down and gathered Rodney up into his arms. He carried him back to the Jumper and stepped up into the rear compartment. Teyla joined him soon after.

"We are all onboard, Colonel," Teyla said, "I suggest you fly as quickly as possible back to Atlantis. Rodney is badly hurt and losing a lot of blood."

Sheppard turned around in his chair and frowned when he saw Rodney's condition. He then turned back to the controls and was about to fly away from the horrid nest when the mother came back. She landed on the roof of the Jumper and dug her claws into the metal.

Teyla and Ronon had already started working on Rodney with the medical kit and were thrown sideways as the inertial dampeners strained under the impact.

The giant eagle was attempting to peel back the metal to get at the occupants who had just killed her chicks.

Sheppard frowned and raised the shield again. They heard an indignant squawk as the eagle was shocked and fell off the roof.

Sheppard could see that the creature was still alive, but it could not keep up with them as they flew at top speed back to the gate.

"How is he?" Sheppard asked in concern, keeping his eyes glued out of the front windscreen.

Teyla and Ronon had removed what had been left of Rodney's tac vest and were bandaging up the worst of the wounds. He was covered in cuts and bites where the bird had pecked him. Most of them were leaking a lot of blood, which was pooling around him faster than Ronon and Teyla could stop.

Teyla was most concerned about the large stab wound she had found in the middle of the right side of his back. Rodney was unconscious and struggling to breathe through the oxygen mask they had placed over his face. His chest was rising and falling jerkily and there was an unpleasant rattling wheeze whenever he drew in a breath.

Ronon and Teyla finished wrapping bandages around the scientist. They had nearly cleaned out the entire supply in the medical kit. Ronon reached around underneath Rodney and kept his hand firmly pressed on the bandage over the side of his back.

Teyla frowned down sadly at Rodney's pale face and grasped his blood-covered hand with her own, which was also sticky with his blood, and squeezed it gently. She reached over and brushed her other hand over his forehead. She looked along his body and saw that one of the bandages on his abdomen was already soaking through and gradually turning a darker red. She grabbed one of the last bandages from the medical kit and pressed it down over the other one.

Sheppard tapped the symbols on the DHD in the cockpit and radioed ahead for a medical team.

* * *

"Oh my God. What happened to him Colonel?" Carson asked when the rear hatch of the Jumper opened and he caught sight of Rodney lying on the floor in between Teyla and Ronon.

"He was attacked by the inhabitants of the planet we just visited," Sheppard said frowning as he looked down and saw the true extent of Rodney's injuries for the first time.

"How could people do this?" Carson asked as he shoved Teyla and Ronon aside and his medical team swarmed into the Jumper and lifted Rodney onto a backboard and transferred him to the gurney sitting outside in the Jumper Bay.

"People did not do this, Dr Beckett," Teyla said, "He was attacked by a group of eagle chicks."

Carson and his team were quickly working on Rodney, replacing bandages and inserting IV lines in his arms.

"Chicks? Fluffy little chicks?" Carson said incredulously.

"Fluffy, yes," Sheppard said, "But certainly not little."

Carson just shook his head as he and his team pushed Rodney towards the nearest transporter and down to the infirmary.

* * *

It took Rodney several days to wake up after his surgery. The claw, which had dug into his back, had broken one of his ribs and punctured a lung, which was why he had had such trouble breathing. Some of the peck wounds had also been very deep and required Carson's expertise to repair before Rodney had been allowed to leave surgery.

Sheppard sat by Rodney's bed and allowed himself a small smile every time Carson came and checked on his friend. Carson would mutter, "Bloody miracle. The man's tougher than he looks," as he noted down the readings from the machines Rodney was hooked up to.

Sheppard had been alone for a few hours and was looking at Rodney's pale face when he felt a slight breeze as Teyla sat down next to him.

"How is he?" She asked.

"Carson seems to think he'll be alright," Sheppard looked away at the floor.

Teyla put a hand on his shoulder, "What is wrong John?"

He took a deep breath and turned around in his chair to face Teyla, "We should've done more research before going to that planet. Our guns were completely useless to protect him."

Teyla frowned, "It could have been any of us the creature took. It is a risk we take every single time we go through the gate."

"But…"

Teyla cut across him, "Rodney is strong. He will be alright."

Sheppard nodded and turned back to look at Rodney. Teyla leaned over and held Rodney's hand in her own.

Ronon came in and joined them a few minutes later. He tossed them some sandwiches. "Thought you might be here as you weren't in the mess hall for lunch."

They both mumbled thanks and ate.

"What the hell are you eating?" croaked a small voice.

Sheppard swallowed his mouthful and looked up from his sandwich, "Rodney! We were beginning to think you preferred your own mind to our company."

Rodney closed his eyes and smiled weakly. It was a few more minutes before he gathered enough strength to speak again. He furrowed his brow and kept his eyes closed, "Didn't think I was going to get out of this one…" his voice trailed off.

Teyla gripped his hand more tightly, "Don't say that Rodney. You knew we were close the whole time."

When he did not reply, the team thought he had drifted off the sleep. They were surprised when he spoke again, "What are you eating anyway?"

Sheppard had not really been paying any attention to what was actually in his sandwich as his focus had been on his friend, "Uh… chicken I think."

Rodney grimaced, "Please get it away from me. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat chicken or duck or any other bird again after this."

Sheppard finished the last of his sandwich guiltily. "Don't worry, we'll keep the sparrows away from you next time we're back on Earth too."

Rodney's face cracked into a smile and then went slack as he fell asleep again.

Sheppard grinned and chuckled, Rodney was going to be fine.

He stayed sitting with his friend even when Teyla and Ronon left a few hours later.

* * *

A/N – This story was inspired while I was watching ducks in the park.

Please review :)

Thanks!

x Varda x


	24. The Prodigal's Revenge

**This is a tag for 'The Prodigal' for those who haven't seen it yet, major spoilers ahead…**

Disclaimer – The usual. Massive thanks to the transcribers on GateWorld you saved me a lot of time…

My muse went into overdrive at one point in the episode and this is what I _hoped_ was going to happen. Story diverges just after Sheppard leaves McKay in the Jumper in the Underwater Bay. Michael has control of Atlantis and they need to destroy his Jumper in the Gate Room to shut down the forcefield keeping everyone out.

**The Prodigal's Revenge**

Rodney stood in the rear compartment of the damaged Jumper which had been chosen for the botch repair job in the Underwater Bay. He was working flat out to tie up components from the two abandoned and damaged craft left in the bay after the flood.

He already felt horrendously guilty over not fixing either of the Jumpers earlier. Two years he had been putting it off, not thinking they would ever be needed. After all there was an entire bay full of sleek, shiny and fully functional Jumpers in the Control Tower.

"_Be sure your sins will find you out,"_ he thought bitterly and grimaced as he stared at the code and schematics scrolling up the screen.

"_Drones, drones, drones?"_ He continuously chanted in his mind as he worked on the laptop, sifting through damaged systems trying to find the reason why they were not working. So many of the power conduits had been cut or crushed beyond repair he thought Sheppard should be praising him for getting as far as he had done. At least one of the Jumpers could now fly.

The Colonel was sitting in the pilot's chair trying to pretend he was doing something important, but Rodney knew was that Sheppard was probably in a mental fight trying to stop himself from harassing the scientist to work faster every five seconds.

Suddenly a klaxon shook Rodney from his concentration and he stopped his feverish tapping on the tablet.

He looked up with his eyes wide and turned to Sheppard in panic, "That's Atlantis' self destruct! Michael's gonna blow up the city!"

Sheppard's face remained calm as usual even when Rodney rushed into the cockpit. John asked, "How much time do we have?"

Rodney looked down and pressed a few commands into his tablet. His heart sank and he felt a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead when he saw the number, "He set it for ten minutes!"

"How much time do you need before you get those drones working?"

Rodney shifted his gaze between the cockpit and the dangling wires in the rear compartment as he performed a mental calculation. "Well, if I can get them working at all, a lot more than ten minutes." His voice broke a little in fear as he spoke and he turned his wide and fearful eyes back to Sheppard.

He already knew Ronon was in trouble and did not even know where Teyla was. Now they were _all_ in trouble and yet again he was the only one left who could save the city. His mind raced trying to think of a solution. He expected Sheppard was about to goad him about working under pressure and how he always saved the day in the last second.

Bracing himself for the remarks to start, Rodney was surprised when Sheppard turned back to the front of the Jumper and spoke, "All right, forget about it."

Rodney looked at him in confusion, "What are you… what are you doing?"

Sheppard tapped away on the controls as he spoke, "I'm flying the Jumper; I'm crashing it into the tower."

"_Crash_ it?" Rodney asked incredulously as his heart sped up and he felt the guilt beginning to constrict his chest, making his voice rise even more.

Sheppard ignored Rodney's squeaky voice and continued, "Look, it is our best chance of taking out Michael's Jumper."

"Not to mention taking out yourself!"

Sheppard turned slightly as he spoke slowly and almost patronisingly, "I have crashed Jumpers into the tower before."

"Not like this, you haven't!"

Rodney had to try something to discourage Sheppard from his plan. He would never forgive himself if his friend were to die like this. Rodney knew it was all his fault that they were in this situation anyway. If only he had he spent just a couple of hours repairing the Jumpers they would have had control back a long time ago, before Michael had even activated the self destruct.

Rodney used his pessimistic charm against Sheppard as best he could, "Look, in addition to the weapons, the inertial dampeners are out. You'll need to impact Michael's Jumper with enough force to do some serious damage, which means a _lot_ of speed when you hit that tower."

He paused for a moment before he let the final bombshell drop, "Look, this is a suicide mission."

Sheppard stopped pressing the controls as Rodney's words washed over him. He swallowed and gazed blankly at the panel in front of him.

* * *

Sheppard did not like how Rodney's voice lowered in dejected resignation as he announced that the Jumper was now ready to fly. Rodney sighed and Sheppard turned to him, noticing how the scientist was looking down sadly.

If anything, Sheppard thought he should be the one feeling put out, but he knew he could never order anyone else to go on this mission and Rodney knew it too.

John made a few last minute jokes to try and reassure and cheer Rodney up, Sheppard's face fell as the other man just sighed and stood up with his hand out and a look of grim seriousness covering his face.

Just as they started to shake hands in a final farewell, Rodney's radio activated.

It was Zelenka and the two men's hands parted before they could finish the gesture.

Sheppard turned back to the control panel as Rodney walked away and spoke into the radio.

Sheppard rolled his eyes as Rodney tried to find out what progress Zelenka had made. He softly cursed the bad timing of the radio call as he had only just managed to steel himself for what he was about to do.

Zelenka reeled off a list of all the systems they were still locked out of. It sounded like the only thing Zelenka could do was shut down the gate shield. Sheppard tried to contain his disappointment as he could not see what use that was going to be and they still had no drones and no access to the Gate Room thanks to Michael's shield.

Suddenly Rodney's voice rose in relief as he spoke from behind Sheppard, "You don't have to do your kamikaze run."

He turned in his chair and looked at the scientist's beaming face as he asked, "Why not?"

Rodney gabbled the solution as fast as possible and waved his hands about in wild enthusiastism as he spoke, "Well, you just have to fly up to the tower, get in proximity, dial the DHD to a random planet, we'll have Radek lower the Gate shield, allowing the vortex to obliterate Michael's Puddle Jumper… or most of it."

Sheppard suddenly felt the same relief that Rodney had just shown before he spoke. "Now _that's_ a good plan."

A thought suddenly crossed Sheppard's mind. The mission in the Jumper was no longer dangerous and he felt he could risk ordering someone else to go now that is was not a one-way trip. He got up from the pilot's seat and walked past Rodney who looked at him in confusion.

"Where are you going?"

Sheppard replied, "_You're_ gonna fly it. That frees me up to lead the strike team."

Rodney's eyes widened at the prospect and he tried to find an excuse as fast as possible, "Yeah, but ..."

Sheppard quickly cut him off before his sharp mind could shake itself out of the shock and find a reason why he should not go, "Look, you said it yourself: it's simple enough. You just dial the Gate."

Rodney turned around and looked into the cockpit as he followed Sheppard's gaze and muttered, "I guess I can do that."

"Go easy on the accelerator."

Sheppard spoke into his radio as he left Rodney behind in the Jumper to complete his safe and simple task, "Radek, get ready to drop that shield on my mark."

* * *

Rodney's heart pounded in his chest in fright at how close he had just come to losing his best friend. He softly cursed the self-sacrificing part of Sheppard's personality. He took a couple of deep breaths to try and calm his nerves and carried out last minute checks over all the Jumper's systems from the pilot's seat.

He was so glad that Sheppard would live, but fear still gripped his heart at how close it had been this time.

Satisfied that at least the engines and DHD were working he sealed the rear hatch and flew the Jumper off the ground.

He immediately felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach and berated himself for forgetting the inertial dampeners were not working.

"Slowly, slowly" he muttered as he inched the Jumper forwards and opened the bay door.

He silently prayed that the damaged craft was water tight as the ocean flooded into the bay and engulfed the Jumper.

Rodney let out a deep sigh as no water leaked inside, but he did not completely relax; there was still the matter of getting the Jumper to the Central Tower without losing all power from the engines.

He grimaced as he remembered the last time he was in the sea in a damaged Jumper, but then frowned as he realised he was still the only one who was going to save the city. Sheppard and the others were useless until he could deactivate the shield around the Central Tower.

He guided the Jumper tentatively as he could feel every tiny jolt and he could almost feel the smooth sensation as the craft cut through the water and finally broke through the surface and went up into the open air.

The engines whined in protest as he forced them to make the Jumper climb towards the Tower. He swayed in his seat as the left engine fluctuated for a moment and the craft leaned to the right.

He groaned in exasperation as he corrected the Jumper's course and adjusted the other engine to compensate.

When he was confident that he had the Jumper under control finally he grabbed the radio and clicked it on, "All right, I'm in the air, approaching the central tower."

Sheppard answered first, _"Copy that. Zelenka, you ready?"_

_"R__eady when you are."_

Rodney grimaced as the Jumper pitched off to one side as he flew up to the side of the Tower where the gate was just beyond the glass wall. He looked out of the window in fear at just how high up he now was and thought in panic, _"It the engines decide to cut out now…"_

He shook his head and tried to banish away the thoughts as he reached his destination and set the Jumper to hover. He grabbed the radio again, "I'm in position, ready to dial."

Sheppard replied again, _"All right, Radek, drop the shield."_

_"__Shield's down! Go, Rodney!"_

His hand quickly pressed the buttons of the DHD, typing in a random space gate address he had just picked out of his head. He hoped there were no Wraith in the vicinity. The Jumper lurched again as he finished and touched the final key.

He saw a bright blue light through the windows around the Tower just in front of him and smiled slightly in relief, he just hoped the plan had worked and the wormhole had destroyed enough of Michael' s Jumper to deactivate the shield. He was just reaching for the radio again when it cracked to life with Zelenka's voice, _"Stun field is neutralised."_

"What about the self destruct? Is it disabled?"

_"__Yes, yes. It shut off when the Jumper's power was cut."__  
_  
Rodney closed his eyes in relief; it was over. Sheppard and the marines would take care of the rest and he did not like his chances of keeping the disobedient Jumper in the air. "Good. I'm heading back. Go ahead and reboot the city's power."

_"__Yes, I'm already doing it."_

Rodney considered his options for a moment. He could fly up to the normal Jumper Bay above him in the Control Tower. There was a high risk that Michael may have done something in the Bay or still have personnel guarding it. Rodney had no desire to get caught in the crossfire when the marines stormed the bay.

He could always fly back down to the underwater bay, but again he dismissed that, no longer trusting that the craft had enough power to get through the sea without the engines cutting out.

Instead he decided to land on one of the piers and get the transporter back. He hoped Zelenka would have the power up and running in time, but then thought he could wait it out if necessary as long as he could land safely.

Just as he was flying away slowly from the Tower Sheppard's voice came over his radio, _"__Close the Jumper Bay doors, Radek!__"_

Rodney frowned in confusion and wondered what was happening. He suddenly felt glad that he had decided not to go to the normal Jumper Bay as something was obviously happening up there.

Zelenka's reply came, _"It's done."_

Sheppard spoke again, _"It's not enough. He's taken one of the Jumpers."_

Rodney put two and two together and his heart rate increased as he realised what was about to happen.

There was a muffled sound of an explosion over the open radio link and a startled cry.

Rodney could no longer stand the suspense and thumbed his radio on and set the Jumper to hover so that he was not distracted, "Sheppard?"

There was a sound of heavy breathing and Rodney frowned as Sheppard spoke, _"He… Michael stole a Jumper… blew hole in doors…"_

"Are you alright?" Rodney asked in panic.

"_Fine… yes."_

"The hell you are!"

"_I need you to head him off Rodney. Just for a second… while I get to another Jumper… to help."_

Sheppard was still breathing heavily and Rodney could hear that he was speaking though gritted teeth.

"But I've got no drones and no inertial dampeners! I can barely keep this thing in the air let alone do any kind of manoeuvring!" Rodney's voice steadily rose in fear.

"_Do what you… have to do… McKay! Just hold him off… for a second! I'm nearly there."_

Rodney obeyed and spun the Jumper around, instantly regretting it as he was nearly thrown out his seat. He grabbed the controls more tightly and leaned into the turn. He muttered as he flew, "Alright for you military types, but ordering _civilians_ to their deaths, what the hell's that about?"

Having no HUD to work with, Rodney had to rely on his eyes to see Michael's Jumper. The light reflecting off the window obscured the view so he turned off the cockpit illumination and peered out as he approached the Tower once more.

He stared intensely out of the window and suddenly caught a glimpse of another Jumper flying swiftly down towards where he had been a moment ago, just in front of the windows to the Gate Room.

He gripped the controls firmly in his sweaty palms and braced himself for what he needed to do.

"Just a little nudge, enough to knock him off course. Just for a second, Sheppard had said..." He muttered as he pushed the damaged Jumper's engines to go faster and was thrown back in his seat.

He hissed in surprise as the G-Force pinned him and made it hard to breathe.

It did not seem that Michael had seen him as Rodney flew the Jumper at alarming speed towards the unsuspecting hybrid's craft.

He braced himself for the impact and covered his face with his arm. They could not let Michael get away. He had to be stopped for all the humans in the Pegasus Galaxy. Rodney knew he was now the last hope for the thousands of lives that Michael would no doubt end in his fury if he escaped from Atlantis this time. There would be no one left to stop him if he went to ground again.

The thoughts gave him little comfort as a fraction of a second later his ship ploughed into Michael's and knocked it away from the Tower.

The sudden deceleration threw Rodney forwards and he instantly regretted not insisting on having seatbelts installed in the Jumpers as he smacked the arm still covering his head on the panel in front of him. He had been holding his head too tightly and the shockwave passed through his arm and made his ears ring almost as if he had hit his head directly.

He grimaced as he was then hurled just as savagely back in his seat.

To top it all, the windscreen shattered and Rodney was showered with tiny pieces of broken glass, which bit into his clothes and skin. He let himself slump over on the panel and concentrated on trying to breathe and wishing the pounding in his head would stop.

Through his fuzzy mind he heard a voice he vaguely recognised over the radio, _"That's it Rodney! I got the shield back up. Michael has nowhere to go now. He's heading back to the Jumper Bay for a last stand."_

_"Rodney?"_

He drew in a breath and winced when his head throbbed. He could no longer feel his right arm and was glad for that small mercy. He was content to go on lying as still as possible over the control console and could not face pushing himself upright to sit back in his chair. He closed his eyes as he felt the panel digging into his face and a slight dampness across his forehead as he rested against his useless arm.

A gust of wind and a lurch made him cry out in pain as a new motion pushed him unwillingly back into his seat.

It also made him look out of the window. Through the white dots which prickled around the edges of his vision he noticed the sea was getting closer and closer and the force now crushing him against the chair increased.

He desperately tried to reactivate the engines, but they had finally decided that enough was enough and cut out completely. He thought there should be silence, but the wind rushing through the open windscreen buffeted past his ears in a loud roar and was so cold he had to close his streaming eyes.

The angry ache in his head made his whole body tremor with pain and he suddenly panicked when he realised he could no longer breathe at all. His pounding heart made his head scream at him with every beat.

He was just about to pass out completely when the Jumper ploughed into the water and he was roughly thrown forwards again. This time though he went right through the now open windscreen and was plunged into the freezing seawater.

* * *

Sheppard stood with Teyla looking over the edge of the Tower high up on the balcony above the Jumper Bay.

He was bruised, bloody and burnt courtesy of his recent fight with Michael and the shrapnel and fire which had rained down on him from Michael's improvised door creation in the Jumper Bay. He reached up with a hand and dabbed at his forehead, wincing when he felt a tender area.

He felt bad about ordering Rodney to head off the insane and vengeful Wraith hybrid and hoped his friend was alright.

He grabbed his radio and turned it back on, "Sheppard to McKay?"

Zelenka answered, _"Colonel, I have not been able to contact him. His Jumper disappeared from the sensors a few minutes ago, just after it hit Michael's."_

Suddenly Sheppard's sense of guilt intensified to an almost physical pain in his chest. _So much for not ordering anyone else to go on a suicide mission._

He remembered back to the all too brief handshake he had shared with Rodney. He wished in hindsight that he'd taken more time over the gesture although he had had no idea at the time that the situation was about to be reversed and Rodney would be the one on the suicide mission and not him.

He shared a concerned look with Teyla and ran as fast as he could back into Tower and down into the Jumper Bay.

He sat down in the pilot's seat and grimaced as his injuries acutely reminded him of their presence.

He grabbed the radio as he powered on the systems, "Radek, check the life sign detectors. Do you see anything?"

"_I only just initialised that system. Standby."_

Sheppard flew the Jumper out of the hole in the ceiling and glided it over to the place by the Tower where Rodney had successfully delayed Michael for long enough for Zelenka to complete his work.

He peered out of the window and scanned the area below, looking for tell tale fires or smoke which would have been caused by a Jumper crashing into any buildings in the city. He frowned when he saw nothing.

Teyla leaned over in the co-pilot's chair trying to get a better view of the dark city below, "Perhaps Rodney was able to get back to the Underwater Jumper Bay?"

Sheppard shook his head, "He would've radioed in or at least replied over the open channel."

He lowered the Jumper and flew in a careful loop around the whole of the Tower looking for any sign of his missing team mate. Still seeing nothing, he changed his tack and started to widen the search, flying above the piers looking for anything at all.

* * *

The saltwater stung Rodney's eyes as he tried to open them. He felt cold and completely numb and realised in fear that he was submerged underwater and could not breathe.

His shell-shocked mind could not even feel which way was up and he had no sensation in his arms or legs as he tried to swim towards what he hoped was the surface.

His throat and chest burned and ached as he continued to hold his breath and prayed that he was moving despite not being able to feel it.

His chest gave a final protest and was about to draw in a breath of killing water when his head broke through the surface.

Rodney gasped in a giant lungful of air and coughed and spluttered as a wave dragged him under again briefly and he inhaled some water.

He wheezed and continued to choke on the cold water in his throat as he opened his stinging eyes and tried to find out where he was.

He blinked a few times to clear the pain and noticed in fright that he was just about to be swept into one of Atlantis' piers. He spotted a few ladder rungs leading up and knew what he had to do to survive.

He fought against the swell of the sea and was grateful that it was not particularly rough that night. Still unable to feel any of his appendages, he was glad that they seemed to be moving albeit weakly and he swam over to the ladder.

He grabbed the bottom rung and cried out and screwed his eyes tightly closed as a wave pounded him in the back and squashed him flat against the wall.

After he recovered enough, he coughed and spat out some more water as he reached out a shaking hand to grasp the next rung of the ladder. He tilted his head back and looked up to see the true extent of the task which lay before him. He sighed and quickly looked back down when he realised just how many steps he would need to take to reach safety.

He steeled himself and began to climb in earnest, not daring to look down into the frothing waters below which he knew he would never be able to get out of again if he were to slip and fall.

* * *

Sheppard flew the Jumper as fast as he could when Zelenka announced he had spotted a single lifesign on the edge of the West Pier.

As they approached, Teyla and Sheppard both noticed the forlorn figure of their missing scientist lying at the top of a long ladder leading up from the sea.

Sheppard landed the Jumper as close to Rodney as possible and grabbed some blankets and fisted the radio as he rushed out with Teyla.

"Zelenka, can you get the transporters on the West Pier working?"

The scientist snapped back a reply, _"The Jumper Bay doors, life sign detectors… now the transporter to the West Pier… I don't know Colonel. It will take time."_

Sheppard knelt down next to McKay and lifted the radio up to his mouth, "We need them operational, Rodney's been hurt."

Zelenka's reply sounded shocked, _"I'm working as fast as possible."_

Sheppard switched the channel on the radio, "We have a medical emergency on the West Pier. Please have a team ready for when the transporter is operational."

Teyla and Sheppard quickly cut off Rodney's sodden uniform and wrapped him up in blankets. They watched helplessly as he shivered through cold. Sheppard frowned when he noticed a dark bruise on Rodney's forehead. He also suddenly saw the blanket close to his friend's arm was growing steadily darker with blood.

He grabbed a bandage and lifted up the corner of the blankets and gently lifted Rodney's right arm to inspect the bleeding gash along his forearm. He wound the bandage around the injury and pressed down to try and stem the flow.

Zelenka's voice came over the radio a few seconds later, _"I've got it Colonel. Transporter is now working."_

"Thanks." He flipped a switch and called the med team over.

He sighed in relief as the door in one of the nearby buildings opened and light streamed out around the figures as they walked over and lifted Rodney up onto a gurney.

Sheppard sat down on the ground and smirked as he felt water seeping through his trousers where he was touching the ground. He swayed slightly as his own hurts reasserted themselves now that he was no longer thinking wholly about someone else.

Teyla grabbed him as he almost keeled over and helped him over to the transporter behind the medical team with Rodney.

* * *

"You're a right trio you are!" Keller's voice broke through his sleep-befuddled mind as Rodney began to wake up.

"Ronon..." She just sighed, "John, bruises, cuts and burns. Not too serious, but added together... Rodney, concussion, hypothermia and an arm so cut and bruised he was lucky it was not broken…"

Rodney smiled as he opened his eyes narrowly and gazed at the owner of the voice. Keller was speaking to Teyla who was cradling Torren in her arms as she sat between Sheppard and an unconscious Ronon.

Sheppard was smirking and looked like he did not really need to still be there. He seemed be glad just to be with his team. The infirmary was the place where half of them were hanging out at the moment so he was there too.

Keller sighed again in exasperation as her concerned speech over what had happened to Sheppard's team fell on deaf ears. Her talk was actually met with relief which Keller seemed to have mistaken for amusement.

She rolled her eyes and noticed that Rodney was watching her with tired eyes. She walked over to him and checked the monitors and adjusted his IV line carefully.

He blinked slowly as he watched her working.

She looked down at him after a moment and asked, "How are you feeling?"

He smiled at her as she continued to peer into his face. He could not stand the scrutiny for very long though and soon looked away, "Better now."

Sheppard sighed loudly and rolled his eyes as he pushed himself up from the bed he was lying on.

Keller backed away from Rodney and turned to watch Sheppard.

He tapped Teyla on the shoulder and spoke as loudly as possible as he walked away, "Come on, let's go and find out how the repairs are coming along."

He smirked as he imagined Rodney's furious glare burning into his back as he walked away. The man would justifiably be mad at him over the interruption of the full attention he held from Keller and the very short conversation with her.

* * *

A/N – that's just how I saw it…


	25. Worst Case Scenario

Disclaimer – Whatever

Set on Lantea circa Season 3

**Worst Case Scenario**

"What's causing the energy reading?" Sheppard asked from the pilot's seat in the Puddle Jumper.

"I don't know! That's why we're going to investigate." McKay snapped back as he typed on his tablet.

Ronon said, "Why haven't we seen it before?"

"Again with the 'I don't know!'" Rodney replied angrily.

"Play nice children." Sheppard said smirking. He adjusted the course of the craft as it glided over the Lantean Ocean towards the mainland.

Teyla held her tongue and did not dare to ask the annoyed scientist any of her questions.

Very soon the Jumper was over the mainland and flying high in the sky.

Sheppard brought up the HUD and Rodney pointed at an intermittent blue blip on the screen, "Land as close as you can so we can go and check it out."

Sheppard nodded and started to guide the Jumper down. As the craft was still several hundred metres up, suddenly the power cut out and they began to plummet.

"What's going on McKay?" Sheppard asked as the Jumper began to roll slightly and he held onto the controls more tightly.

Rodney was typing on his computer with wildly shaking hands and wide eyes, "The power just cut out. There's no reason and I don't think I can get it back on… before… before…"

He looked up from the screen just in time to see the ground approaching and spinning in front of the window. He threw both arms up over his face and braced himself for the impact.

The doomed Jumper ploughed an ugly and fire strewn scar across the landscape as its flying days abruptly ended. The occupants were thrown roughly around inside as the inertial dampeners had been lost along with the engines.

After a few minutes the first signs of life could be heard coming from inside the ship in the form of a low and mournful groan.

Rodney blinked through the blood in his eyes and tried to move himself to find out how the others were. He cried out as stabbing pains tore through him. He lay as still as possible on his back and gasped shallow, rapid breaths.

After a while the pain diminished slightly and he gritted his teeth as he dragged himself up to crawl along the deck of the Jumper and over to the other three figures inside.

He tested them and was able to find a pulse on each of them. They were all out cold though. Rodney needed to get help for them from Atlantis.

Coughing as he pushed himself up to his knees, Rodney wiped a hand across his mouth and it came away with blood on the back. He shuddered and choked as he reached for his tablet which had ended up resting on the science station.

As he picked it up he noticed there was a red spike showing on the screen. His body chose that moment to inform him that it had had enough of moving for the time being and he keeled over sideways and crashed onto the deck.

Blood gushed up into his throat and he spat it out as best he could to stop it from choking him. His dimming vision allowed him to see the screen and his eyes widened when he realised that an engine overload was in progress.

"What the…" were his last gurgling words before the explosion tore the craft apart and left a smoking crater in the ground.

* * *

Rodney woke with a start and took a few deep breaths to try and slow his heart rate down as he heard the blood rushing past his ears loudly.

The nightmare had been so vivid he could almost still feel the agony and taste the metal in the back of his throat.

He closed his eyes for a moment, but the images were even clearer against the darkness of his eyelids. He sighed and pushed back the covers which had become twisted around his legs so that he struggled for a moment.

He fearfully walked in the dull light of his quarters over to the light panel and turned them up to the highest setting. Temporarily blinded he pressed himself back against one of the walls and crossed both of his hands over his upper chest, pinning his elbows to his sides protectively while his eyes adjusted to the glare.

At length, he walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror examining his pale and sweaty face. Shaking his head at his ghostly appearance he muttered, "You look like crap McKay," in his best possible imitation of Sheppard and leant over to wash his face with cold water.

He wandered sleepily from the bathroom and glanced at the clock; 5am. Figuring there was no point in trying to go back to sleep just for a couple of hours and having no desire to mull over or subject himself to any more bad dreams he showered, got dressed and went down to his lab.

* * *

Sheppard joined Rodney for breakfast a couple of hours later, "Good morning Rodney." He said as he sat down opposite the extremely tired and cranky scientist.

"Really? I was actually thinking it was turning into a lousy day."

Sheppard frowned and looked up to study Rodney's pale face. The scientist held up his hand, "Don't say anything."

"But I wasn't…" Sheppard shook his head in exasperation and looked back down at his breakfast, "I was _going_ to say the nightshift picked up an energy reading coming from the mainland and thought it would be a good idea for someone to check it out."

Rodney's heart sank and a cold sweat broke out across his forehead, "Oh they did, did they? By 'someone' you mean us?"

"Well we might as well. Who knows what the Ancients left on the mainland."

Rodney sighed and studied his hands vacantly as he nervously wrung them together.

Sheppard noticed the body language and asked, "Hey, what's wrong Rodney?"

"Uh… nothing." He stuttered.

"_Really_?"

Rodney could not fool the Colonel so he steeled himself and looked up into the concerned face of his friend, "Just a bad dream that's all."

* * *

Rodney was actually grateful he had had the nightmare because it made him check over the Jumper more thoroughly than usual before they left. He found a broken cable above the crystal tray which would have caused the catastrophic power loss he had seen in the dream.

He sighed and tried to relax as he sat in the co-pilot's chair and Sheppard flew the Jumper over the water. He could not shake the nagging feeling he had deep down inside that something was very, very wrong.

They reached the point above the mainland where the energy signal was originating from and Sheppard guided the craft down. Rodney could see it was in exactly the same location as it had been in the dream and closed his eyes when they got closer.

The engines remained on and Sheppard landed the craft easily in a small clearing just a stone's throw from the reading.

Rodney let out the breath he had been holding and opened his eyes in relief.

"There you go McKay. Nothing to worry about." Sheppard said as they all walked out of the rear hatch and approached the signal.

Teyla still looked a little worried as she had also heard about Rodney's vision and did not like how similar their situation had been as they flew over to the mainland.

Rodney suddenly stopped and held up the scanner, "Here we are."

Sheppard raised his P90 and covered the sparse trees around the scientist as he went over and stood closer, "What is it?"

"According to this, there is a device buried just beneath the soil. It's emitting a strange reading almost like a Puddle Jumper, but it appears to be damaged."

"Can we get it out?" Ronon asked.

"I'm not sure." Rodney replied as he crouched down and swept his hand over the ground to move aside some leaves and soil.

His hand touched cold metal and he gasped in shock and stood up quickly, "But it can't be! No no no no no!"

The others gathered around the fearful scientist as he backed away.

Sheppard raised his eyebrows, "A Wraith dart? Why is it emitting a reading like a Puddle Jumper?"

Rodney held his hands out in front of himself, "I… I don't know."

As he spoke and continued to move away a large shadow was suddenly cast over the group and a loud humming sound began to reverberate in the air above them.

They all looked up to see the cause of the noise and Sheppard shouted, "Wraith hive!! Everyone back to the Jumper!"

As they ran, blue bolts of energy erupted from the ship and tore into the ground around them.

Rodney cried out as a tree exploded off to his left and he was thrown into Ronon and they both tumbled over.

"Why are they shooting at us?" Rodney gasped as he stood up on shaky and bruised legs. He winced when he tested his weight on his right ankle.

Sheppard ran back to him and muttered, "I don't know. Maybe the dart called them."

Ronon helped Sheppard with McKay as they half carried him with both arms draped over their shoulders.

Teyla went a little ahead of them and called back, "We must hurry. The impacts are getting more accurate."

They were at the rear hatch of the Jumper when the closest shot so far from the Hive ship flew down and hit the ground just metres away from the struggling team.

The subsequent blast threw everyone in different directions and Rodney flew at a sickening speed and slammed into a nearby tree.

He fell down and lay on his back dazed and shocked as he looked up at the Hive ship still hovering malevolently above to veil the sun. He felt completely numb and found that he could no longer gather enough strength to breathe. He dimly wondered whether that was because all his ribs were broken.

Through his greying vision he watched another bolt coming from the Hive ship directly towards him. He was then engulfed in blinding fire and dust and knew no more.

* * *

Rodney's eyes flung open wide in the dull light of his quarters, "Oh no no no! Not again!"

He pressed his fingers into his eyes until he saw white lights in his eyelids as he tried to clear the seemingly all too real sensations which had just assaulted him.

When his breathing had evened out a little, he got up and turned on the lights. He noticed in growing horror that it was 5am again just like before.

He brought his shaking hands up to his face and rubbed it vigorously. He then looked down at himself and double checked that there was nothing broken or bleeding.

He sighed deeply when he did not find anything and decided that this time, he would go back to sleep straight away. He left the lights on and lay back down on the bed.

It felt like he had barely closed his eyes before the intercom in his quarters woke him, "_Sheppard to McKay?"_

"I'm sleeping!"

"_Better not be McKay, we've got a new mission to go on."_

Rodney rolled over and looked at his clock, "Crap!" It was 9am.

"_Crap indeed McKay. Get up here now."_

Rodney thought Sheppard sounded angrier than usual. He cursed himself for oversleeping as he threw on his uniform and fled from his quarters.

He met Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon in the Control Room. Ronon chuckled at Rodney's dishevelled appearance.

Sheppard spoke first, "The nightshift found…"

"Let me guess," Rodney sighed, "A 'strange' energy reading from the mainland."

Sheppard looked a little taken aback, "No wonder you overslept McKay! You should go to bed earlier."

Rodney frowned, "No, I went to bed quite early last night."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"I swear I did. And I…uh…think I'll sit this one out. If it's alright with you."

Sheppard frowned, "What's wrong McKay?"

"N-nothing! I just have a bad feeling that's all," he finished lamely.

The rest of the team were all looking at him in confusion now so he looked away and held his shaking hands together tightly as he spoke, "I'll check the Jumper over for you but I don't want to go."

Sheppard was beginning to poorly disguise his annoyance now, "Look Rodney, you're on my team, we need you to come with us. Unless there's something wrong with you, in which case you should go to the Infirmary and have Carson check you over."

Rodney sighed in relief, "That sounds like a good plan Colonel. I'll just come up and check over the Jumper to make sure it's safe and then I'll go straight down."

Sheppard nodded and they all walked up the stairs to the Jumper Bay.

Rodney yet again found the detached wires and hastily reconnected them securely to the power supply.

"Okay you're good to go," he said after a few minutes and felt a huge weight of worry lifting from his chest as he walked out of the rear hatch.

Sheppard sat down in the pilot's seat with Teyla next to him and Ronon behind.

Sheppard turned slightly in his seat and called out, "Now get down to the infirmary."

Rodney nodded and sighed as he turned his back on the Jumper and walked across the Bay towards the transporter.

He rubbed his forehead and was glad that he did not have to go on the mission which had already ended very badly twice for him. He was still several metres away from the door to the transporter his radio activated.

He heard Sheppard shout, _"Rodney! Move!"_

This made him spin around to look at the place where the Jumper had been a moment ago. He had a fleeting vision of the craft coming towards him before the sharp edge of the front of the Jumper struck him in the abdomen and forced him back into the wall.

All of Rodney's breath left him and he could not even cry out in pain as he was crushed into the wall.

In his last moments he heard a quiet voice in his head with his rapidly fading hearing, _"My god! I'm so sorry Rodney! There's something wrong with the Jumper…"_

* * *

A sound in the void guided Rodney towards awareness. After the third time he realised it may have been his name and he tried to use the voice to find his way out of the gloom.

"_Rodney?"_

_There it goes again_, he thought as he began to slip back down into the black depths once more.

"_Don't you dare come so close just to go away again!"_

Rodney thought the voice sounded angry and he used the fury to fight against the darkness with all his might.

"_There you go. It's not so hard now is it?"_

"No it isn't." Rodney struggled and with a final push, almost like swimming to the surface after a dive, he forced himself out into the light.

Sheppard was standing over him and looking down into his face in triumph.

Rodney stared at him blearily and took in his surroundings, "What…"

Sheppard cut him off with a hand on his shoulder, "Do you know where you are?"

Rodney frowned in confusion, "The infirmary."

Sheppard smiled, "Yes, good. We wondered whether you were ever going to wake up."

Rodney's eyes widened and he lifted his hands up and gently prodded his chest and abdomen. Not finding any damage he turned back to Sheppard and asked, "How long have I been out."

"Two days."

Rodney looked down in fright and muttered incredulously, "Two days! What happened?"

"Do you remember anything at all?"

"A few things, but I'm no longer sure what is or was real."

Sheppard frowned, "Yes. Dr Zelenka did say it might have had that effect on you."

"What… what happened to me?"

Sheppard sat down in the chair next to Rodney and recounted the events of two days ago.

"The nightshift picked up a strange energy reading from the mainland, so we took a Jumper to investigate."

Rodney frowned and waved his hand, "Sounds familiar so far."

Sheppard glared at him and continued, "It turned out that a Jumper crashed on the mainland ten thousand years ago. All that was left were a few spare parts, all rusted to hell and the neural interface device."

Rodney blinked slowly at this revelation; the neural interface was what made it possible for Ancient gene carriers to fly the craft by thought alone.

"There was something wrong with it though, because as you picked it up to examine it, it emitted an energy wave which engulfed you and knocked you out."

"That may explain what I've just experienced." Rodney said looking down at his hands resting protectively on his chest.

Sheppard raised his eyebrows and gave him a questioning look when he glanced back up.

"Really John… I'd rather not talk about it." Rodney mumbled.

Sheppard smiled, "Zelenka said the malfunctioning device may have been imprinted with the memories of the last few people who flew the Jumper."

Rodney shook his head, "Seems like only the most traumatic memories have survived over time…"

Sheppard frowned, "Did you see anything?"

"Lot of things. Lots and lots of horrible things. And not just see them either…" he trailed off as he grimaced and shuddered at the memories.

Sheppard put a hand on his friend's shoulder to calm the fearful tremors, "Try to push them away. They're not yours."

Carson came over then and smiled when he saw his patient was awake and coherent, "Glad to see you back in the land of the living Rodney."

He shook even more at the comment and took a few deep breaths to calm himself until he became still.

Carson frowned, "Physically there's nothing wrong with you. I'd like to keep you in for monitoring for another day at least."

"A day!" Rodney replied indignantly.

Sheppard bailed him out, "Can he have a laptop?"

Carson narrowed his eyes for a moment before he spoke, "Don't see why not."

Sheppard grinned and dashed out of the infirmary.

Carson patted Rodney's arm after he finished checking the monitors and walked away leaving the scientist alone with his grim thoughts.

Rodney knew Sheppard was right. He silently worked at trying to banish the dark, terrifying thoughts and memories of pain and death that were not his to the corner of his mind.

When Sheppard came back a few minutes later with the laptop Rodney was feeling a little better.

He settled in the chair again and handed over the computer. Rodney opened it eagerly and switched it on. While he was waiting for it to boot up he turned to Sheppard who was looking at him as though he was trying to decide what to say.

Rodney spoke first, "The interface, what happened to it?"

Sheppard pushed himself back in the seat to be more upright, "Zelenka removed the power supply, labelled it dangerous and locked it in storage."

Rodney tried to smile, "That's good. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone else."

Sheppard stayed with Rodney as he typed away on the computer and became distracted and lost in his work.

* * *

A/N – I love writing/reading stories where nothing is ever quite as it seems…Just out of curiousity I wonder if McKay ever told Sheppard what happened to him in during the mindprobe in 'Progeny?' He didn't seem to be too badly affected by it, just said he didn't want to talk about it...


	26. Honour Bound

Disclaimer - the usual

Thanks **Debbie418uk2** and **angelvala87** for the challenges! (Keep them coming ;D) Here's my reply…

**Honour Bound**

"So why are we having to meet up with the people fortunate enough to be members of this primitive society?" McKay said in a loud voice as he noisily crunched leaves and twigs under his feet.

Sheppard suddenly stiffened up and stopped walking. He pointed his P90 around warily, "_Quiet_ McKay!"

Rodney sighed and folded his arms across his chest, "What?"

"Shhh."

Sheppard looked around a few more times and Rodney rolled his eyes when there were no further sounds.

After a minute John straightened again and shrugged, "Guess it was nothing, but you need to be careful what you say; we may one day have to rely on these people for our next dinner."

Rodney huffed as they continued to walk under the dense tree cover a short distance away from where they had left the Jumper.

"Teyla is so much better at all this talking and trading stuff than we are."

"I know McKay, but she's gone with Ronon to the mainland back home to visit her people. We've traded with the people on this planet a few times so it'll just be a meet and greet before we discuss terms this time."

Rodney grimaced at the prospect and continued to trample the undergrowth without a care for any stealth.

After a few more minutes of walking they came to the edge of the forest. The trees thinned out and they found themselves in a large open field with a few tents in the centre.

Rodney scowled at Sheppard, "Why didn't we just land here? Save the walk and my muddy boots?"

He lifted up one of his feet and pushed it down heavily into the soil with a wet squelchy sound to illustrate his point.

Sheppard muttered a reply from the corner of his mouth, "They're really superstitious McKay. We don't want them to know we've got a Puddle Jumper, who knows what their reaction would be?"

Rodney frowned, "Oh great, just great! I hope they don't think scientists with blue eyes are a bad omen."

Sheppard grinned as they continued to walk through the long grass towards the village.

When they reached the collection of tents, several people came out to meet them. Sheppard fixed his face with his most charming smile which only served to deepen the grimace on McKay's face.

The man who looked like the oldest of the group beamed and walked over to them, holding out his arms in greeting, "Welcome and praise the Third Moon for your arrival!"

Rodney rolled his eyes and muttered something about 'Voodoo' and 'Witchcraft.'

Sheppard spun around and gave him a warning glare. He turned back to the village elder, "Thank you. I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and this is Dr Rodney McKay."

"Forgive me! I am Zalarn, the leader of this community."

Sheppard and McKay took in the appearance of the villagers as they were led over to the largest and most elaborate tent in the vicinity.

They were all wearing long animal skins, which were far too baggy for them, over threadbare shirts, skirts and worn out shoes.

As they got closer to the tent Rodney noticed there were two large spears driven into the ground to mark each side of the entrance. He looked warily at the sharp points and frowned when he noticed them glowing as they got closer. He could hear Sheppard talking to Zalarn in front of him and noticed the put on enthusiasm and interest he was feigning in everything the elder was telling him.

Rodney turned his head to look behind and noted in alarm that a lot of the villagers were following them closely. He walked a little faster to catch up with Sheppard.

Unable to find a break in the conversation to alert Sheppard to what he had seen without Zalarn hearing, Rodney reached into his tac vest pocket and pulled out a scanner. It lit up in his hand and he pressed a few buttons while he studied the readings.

"Uh… Sheppard? I think I've found something worthy of investigation." Rodney said as he saw some faint energy readings on the device.

Zalarn and Sheppard both turned around to look at McKay and he stopped walking, still looking at the scanner.

Zalarn's eyes widened and he shouted, "Dark Ones!"

Sheppard stepped forward and stood in front of Rodney, turning back slightly to speak to the scientist from the corner of his mouth, "I think you should put it away."

McKay was looking up in alarm at Zalarn's outburst and hastily stuffed the scanner back in his tac vest pocket.

The villagers began advancing on the two men and Sheppard held out his empty hands, "Hey… We haven't done anything… Let's talk about this…"

Zalarn's face hardened and all of the bouncy joviality which had been present just a few seconds ago vanished. "You wield a device of the Dark Ones and that is enough."

He nodded to the villagers, who quickly grabbed both McKay and Sheppard before they could offer any resistance.

Both men winced as they were forced to their knees and had their tac vests and weapons taken away.

Zalarn looked down at them coldly, "The punishment for any allegiance to the Dark Ones is death."

Rodney looked up at him indignantly, "Death! Isn't that a bit harsh…it's just a scanner."

For that comment he felt something sharp as it jabbed him in the shoulder and he bit back a cry. He turned his head to see the closest lurking villager had thrown back his animal skin covering to reveal a belt tied around his waist with all manner of knives and daggers attached. Rodney swallowed when he saw the tip of the blade the villager was wielding had a red glint and he looked down at his shoulder to see the material darkening.

Sheppard looked at Zalarn, "I swear we're on the same side. These 'Dark Ones,' we call them the Wraith and we want them gone as much as you do."

One of the villagers rushed over to the elder and spoke, "He has one too. They are both in league with the Dark Ones."

Zalarn nodded and held out his hands to the crowd, "Judgement will be served. We must prepare for the ceremony!"

The villagers all started speaking in excited whispers as they walked away and all but two guards for the prisoners remained.

The guards lifted Sheppard and McKay up to their feet and pushed them along towards the far end of the row of tents.

Sheppard looked behind to check their distance away from the guards and moved closer to Rodney so that he could speak unheard, "There's only two of them and they've made the common mistake of walking behind us. The Jumper's not too far away and I haven't seen any ranged weapons."

Rodney looked back at him with fearful eyes and pressed a hand to the cut on his shoulder. He lifted it up to show the blood-stained palm to Sheppard as he spoke, "Run? All the way back to the Jumper? In case you hadn't noticed, Colonel, I'm hardly the Olympic sprinter you're relying on for this little plan to work."

"You'll do fine Rodney. I'll be right behind you. When I say go, run and don't look back."

McKay frowned down at his red palm and nodded absently, "Uh… okay."

They were at the last tent when one of the guards called out, "Stop! Go inside."

Sheppard looked over his shoulder at their captors and made sure they were still a fair distance away. He exchanged a knowing look with Rodney and gave him a little push at the same time he said, "Now!"

Rodney did not need to be told twice and he ran, quite literally, for his life.

He nearly lost both his boots in a particularly deep puddle in the muddy field as he skirted around the edge of the tents to find the place where they had entered the village.

He could hear someone behind him and did not turn, he was just grateful for Sheppard's close presence. The mud splashed up his legs and made fast movement difficult and exhausting. He was soon wheezing and his heart pounded painfully in his chest as he dragged his feet out of the bog.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg and nearly lost his footing. Rodney assumed it was because he had just wrenched something due to the mud and he kept going.

After a few more difficult paces he reached his target and followed the obvious track he had made with Sheppard earlier, back into the forest.

As Rodney neared the edge of the trees something which felt like a hand shoved him hard in the side of his back and he stumbled again, nearly flying headlong into a thick tree trunk looming in front of him.

He gasped under his breath, "Come on Sheppard, no need to push. I'm going as fast as I can."

As he put as much distance between himself and the village he heard a man call out behind him and it made him relax a little, "No! Stop! Don't go in there, the trees are full of ghosts!"

Rodney weaved and dodged around the trees and crashed through the undergrowth. After a few more seconds he had to stop as he was having trouble breathing. He panted and gasped as he leant forwards on a tree trunk and pressed his face against the bark.

"What…the…hell?" He mumbled between breaths. Rodney knew he was quite unfit, but he had never run so hard that it had become this difficult to breathe.

He felt more than a little drained, detached and dizzy as he leant more heavily against the tree. He glanced around and his eyes widened when he found that he was completely alone. Sheppard was gone and it seemed that no guards had pursued him either.

White spots danced at the edges of his vision and Rodney blinked through them as his breathing became more laboured and the weak feeling more pronounced.

He pushed himself off the tree and swayed. He then looked down at his shoulder and wondered whether such a small cut was producing the symptoms he was experiencing. He did not know and but he knew he had to get back to the Jumper and use the HUD to find out what had happened to Sheppard.

He moved as quickly as he could and drew in deep breaths to try and clear the overwhelming faintness. He limped onwards and watched his feet as he began to shiver, thinking smugly that Ronon would be proud that he was able to track the path of broken twigs and deep footprints he had made earlier.

He was about ready to drop when he reached the place where the Puddle Jumper was cloaked and his hands visibly shook as he held them out in front of him to find the invisible ship.

The motion made it more difficult to breathe and Rodney lowered one of his arms and wrapped it around his chest. He furrowed his brow in fear and confusion at his difficulty.

His outstretched hand soon bumped into something he could not see and he traced the edge until he found the rear hatch. He mentally opened the door and stepped into the space in front of him.

As he walked over the threshold the Jumper materialised around him. He rushed forwards as quickly as he dared to not exacerbate his breathing problem.

He stepped into the cockpit and spun the chair around to sit down. As he lowered himself to sit, a massive pain tore through his back and he screamed when all his thoughts were replaced by the sensation.

When he opened his streaming eyes and found that he had fallen onto the deck in the Jumper and was lying on his side.

"Oh god…" he moaned as his vision began to darken, "No no no I need to save Sheppard."

He gritted his teeth and hissed as he moved a hand behind himself and felt a wooden shaft protruding from the side of his lower back.

"So much for not having any ranged weapons…" he muttered as he pushed himself upright and sat dazed for a few seconds on the floor.

His leg throbbed sharply when he moved and he frowned and spoke angrily, "Oh what now!"

He looked down and found the hilt of a knife sticking out from the back of his right calf. "Oh great, McKay the human pincushion!"

He rolled his eyes and used his arms to haul himself upright using the chair for support and frowned at his predicament. How could he sit down to fly the Jumper with the arrow sticking out of his back?

Rodney now felt glad that Ronon was not with him. The Satedan would probably already have snapped the shaft of the arrow off at the price of lots more agony for the scientist.

He turned the chair sideways and sat down slowly and awkwardly. Now that he knew the arrow and knife were sticking out of him, Rodney could feel the pain building up and found breathing even more of a struggle.

He shook his head to clear it and brought up the HUD to locate his missing team leader.

He frowned when he saw a large group of life signs in the village, but no single reading anywhere to signify that Sheppard had just got lost in the woods.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid…" McKay said and closed his eyes, "Of course Sheppard said 'Don't look back.'"

Rodney had been so preoccupied with the tiny cut on his shoulder that he had missed the significance of that phrase and it had taken all this time for it to seep through his mind.

He gritted his teeth as he lifted the Jumper off the ground and out of the clearing. He kept it cloaked and flew the short distance to the village over the trees.

He hoped the superstitious natives would be sufficiently spooked by the plan he had, to run away and let him rescue Sheppard. He now wished that he had never brought out the scanner and had linked the fact that the people of the village were suspicious and how Sheppard had insisted on keeping the Jumper well hidden. They would never have had to go through all of this and would be laughing it up in one of the tents, no doubt being fed with exotic food and hearing strange tales from Zalarn.

Rodney quickly snapped himself out of his misery as he hovered the Jumper over the scene below. He narrowed his eyes at the figures as they built up a large mound of straw and branches.

"Oh please!" Rodney muttered when he noticed a solitary life sign in the middle of the pile they were building, "That is so ridiculous. Burning at the stake…"

He shifted uncomfortably as he sat side-saddle in the pilot's chair and winced when he knocked the knife still embedded in his leg.

He scoped out a likely group of candidates for his plan and swooped the Jumper down towards them. He skimmed the craft close to the ground over their heads and then powered it back up into the sky.

He watched the HUD in grim satisfaction as the group all fell over in the wake of the passing Jumper. He had no desire to actually hit and injure any of the villagers, but he had to find a way to rescue Sheppard and realised that he may have to be prepared to do whatever it took.

He turned the Jumper so that it was hovering vertically several metres above the crowd so that he could look out of the window at the people below. They had stopped in their task of building the fire and were looking up at the sky in fear.

Rodney knew that he did not have much time left before he passed out and could feel a creeping cold clutching his heart as he got weaker. In desperation he swooped the Jumper down on the crowd again and spun it rapidly around to watch the reaction.

Several of the villagers were running away and others were picking themselves up off the ground.

Rodney swayed in his precarious position and nearly pitched out of the seat again. He grasped the control panel to steady himself, grimaced and steeled himself as he swooped again to terrorise the people on the ground below.

He knew it would be the last time he could do it. As he could now barely keep his eyes open and his breathing was becoming shallower with every passing moment.

He gazed at the HUD after he finished his pass when the Jumper pointed to the sky once more. All of the villagers had now run away from Sheppard in panic and the coast was clear.

McKay sighed heavily and groaned at the motion. He flew the Jumper down and hovered it as close to Sheppard as he could. He opened the rear hatch remotely and staggered up onto his feet.

Leaning against the inside of the Jumper as he proceeded, Rodney grabbed a knife from one of the supply crates in the rear compartment and limped painfully out onto the rear hatch of the Jumper.

He had no time to congratulate himself at how close he had got the craft to Sheppard, who was tied to a wooden post in the middle of the stack of wood and straw.

There was blood down one side of the Colonel's face and he blinked slowly up at the man who had suddenly appeared in front of him.

Sheppard smiled at Rodney and said sleepily, "You look how I feel McKay."

Rodney grimaced as he cut through the ropes, "As much as I'd like to compare injuries with you… We need to get out of here, before they realise we're just using more of our 'Dark One' voodoo."

Rodney soon had Sheppard free from the post and he slumped forwards heavily into McKay's chest.

Rodney put his hands under Sheppard's shoulders and struggled under the weight which made his breathing become ragged and fast through pain. He desperately dragged the Colonel onto the hatch and prayed that he did not fall over backwards, as he did not think he would live to tell _that_ tale.

He heaved Sheppard's limp form as best he could but was not able to gather enough strength to make it all the way into the Jumper. He closed his eyes and thought, "I'm not going to let it end like this! What a stupid way to die!"

He said out loud, "Come on John. You know I can't do this on my own. Damn witch burning, cannibal primitives in some forsaken backwater of the Pegasus Galaxy…"

Sheppard heard him and mumbled, "You're gabbling again McKay."

"Well then help me out then!"

Sheppard obeyed and pushed up with his feet so that Rodney was able to finally get him inside the rear compartment.

When asked later, Rodney had no memory of how he had managed to get back to the pilot's seat and fly the Jumper all the way up into orbit and through the space gate, having lost as much blood as he had.

The staff on Atlantis received an IDC, but no radio contact could be made with the occupants. The craft silently and mysteriously came back through the gate and rose on autopilot into the bay above the Gate Room.

A squad of marines were sent up to investigate and quickly radioed in a medical emergency when they found Sheppard on the floor in the rear compartment and McKay slumped over on the control panel with a messy knife wound to his leg and a deeply embedded and savagely wrenched arrow in his back.

* * *

Rodney was intubated and hooked up to a ventilator for two whole days after Carson repaired the damage caused by the knife and arrow.

Sheppard had a fairly serious concussion and had to be sedated for monitoring. Carson gave him the all clear for light duties as Rodney still lay unconscious, but now breathing on his own, in the infirmary.

Sheppard sat reading a book next to the scientist as he continued to sleep. Rodney's face was still deathly pale from blood loss, even though he had already received several transfusions. Thick bandages covered the expertly stitched wounds on his leg and back and there was a small pad over the cut on his shoulder.

After a while, Rodney opened his tired eyes and looked at the man next to him, "You… you made me leave you behind."

Sheppard frowned at how quiet and weak Rodney's voice sounded and lifted his gaze to peer into his friend's sad face. He looked a little sheepish, "Uh… how're you feeling Rodney?"

"Like crap and like I nearly died because some natives decided to use me for target practice."

Sheppard kept a straight face and spoke seriously, "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that Rodney, but I took a pretty good hit to the head." He pointed to the row of stitches on his temple.

Rodney sighed softly as he drifted off to sleep again and mumbled, "Why did you stay behind?"

He was not sure exactly what had happened on the planet and whether Sheppard actually followed and was incapacitated by the natives. He also knew that Sheppard had not really answered his accusation and would probably be too embarrassed to admit it if he had anyway.

McKay felt a little flicker of anger that the Colonel felt his life was so expendable to protect the civilians and especially as he was so frequently called arrogant and irritating by his peers.

Rodney was just glad things had turned out alright this time and hoped it never happened again.

* * *

A/N – Hang on a moment…I already wrote this…no I didn't…This was the original ending in my mind for Jumper-Jacked...hence the confusion


	27. Flotsam and Jetsam

**Flotsam and Jetsam**

Rodney drummed a syncopated and irritating riff on the side of his computer as he sat in the Jumper next to Sheppard.

The Colonel bravely endured for as long as he could, but after two minutes and several hitches in the rhythm, which made John wince, he had to do _something_, "Would you quit that McKay!"

Rodney stopped tapping and sighed as he flexed his fingers, "What a stupid place to put a Stargate! Five hours from the nearest planet."

Sheppard relaxed the tension in his shoulders in relief that the scientist had ceased his bored and annoying drumming.

"We'll be there is two hours," he raised his eyebrows at the man sitting next to him, "Not that _I_ don't like the company."

Rodney rubbed his head and yawned loudly as he gazed out of the window. Sheppard turned to him, "Haven't you got any data to analyse, code to write."

Rodney frowned as Sheppard shrugged and continued, "Maybe you could reconfigure the sensors or make the engines more efficient? There must be something you can do."

Rodney folded his arms across his chest and let the computer slide dangerously close to the edge of his lap, "Would you also like me to install a kettle and make you a cup of tea while I'm at it?"

"If you'd be so kind." Sheppard replied with a lopsided grin.

Rodney rolled his eyes and rescued the tablet just as it slipped off his knees. He typed on the screen for a few minutes and then put it down and stared out of the window again looking thoroughly fed up.

Sheppard looked across at him, his eyes brimming with eagerness, "Just imagine all the stuff we're going to find in the Ancient Outpost on the planet! Loads of cool Ancient tech and ZPMs."

Rodney narrowed his eyes and let his voice grew steadily louder with each phrase, "I did, but it only lasted for the first hour. I brought a whole load of data to analyse, which lasted the next hour. I stared out of the window for another hour and now here we are." He moved his hand across in a sweeping motion as he spoke to indicate the both of them stuck in the Jumper.

Sheppard smiled, "There must be something… Why not humour me and reconfigure the sensors, I'm sure there's something interesting out there. Space dust? Bizarre and unique energy readings?"

Rodney grimaced at Sheppard's enthusiasm as the man tried to break him out of his thoughts of the tedious monotony of the trip. He grabbed the laptop and decided he may as well play around with the sensors for a while, but he knew it was unlikely he would find anything to pique his interest.

Sheppard shook his head when he noticed Rodney's sulky face and went back to staring out of the window. He was a pilot and no stranger to boring and long flights. He let his mind wander even as he kept monitoring the craft and keeping them on course.

* * *

Another hour later, Rodney put the computer down and folded his arms over his chest again.

Sheppard turned to him, "Finished?"

"Yes, it was totally absorbing and as riveting as I expected," he replied sarcastically.

"Oh please go on…" Sheppard said with a feigned interest to match the scientist's tone.

Rodney frowned but gamely continued, waving his right hand about in the general direction of the window, "Solar radiation, dust, moons, planets, asteroids, comets. The usual stuff."

Sheppard smiled, "What no ships, debris or energy readings?"

Rodney grimaced, "If only…"

Sheppard suddenly stopped smiling and brought up the HUD. He quickly zoomed out the view to show the whole system and narrowed his eyes at a large red wave approaching them at high speed.

"Well then, how do you explain that?"

Rodney's eyes widened and he studied the data in more depth on his tablet, "I…don't know! It wasn't there a few minutes ago when I finished looking!"

Sheppard called out, "We can't outrun it. Brace yourself!"

Rodney looked up in confusion, "What?"

He did not do as Sheppard asked and the wave passed through the Jumper and its occupants and carried on on its course through the system.

* * *

"You know you really should try and follow my orders McKay. You wouldn't get in half as much trouble if you did."

Rodney blinked up at the Colonel kneeling next to him and looked down at what Sheppard was working on. He grimaced when he saw a bandage wrapped around his upper arm which John was pressing.

Pain flared through the damaged limb and into his shoulder as he fully woke up. "What…what?" he muttered shakily.

Sheppard peered into his face, "Don't know Rodney. That's why _you're_ here. I just fly the ship and shoot the bad guys when they try to get you."

Rodney raised his eyebrows, "_Hardly_…Mr MENSA has been known to do a lot more than that."

Sheppard smiled down at him and increased the pressure on Rodney's arm. The scientist closed his eyes and furrowed his brow as waves of pain radiated through his left shoulder, across his chest and up his neck, "Oh ow ow ow!"

He held his breath when it hitched and squirmed to try and get away from the source of the pain.

Sheppard frowned and relaxed the hand he had gripped around Rodney's upper arm, "What? It's not bleeding that badly… is there something else?"

Rodney sucked in a breath and replied weakly, "My shoulder hurts like hell."

Sheppard frowned and gently tied off the bandage trying to minimize any movement he caused to Rodney's arm.

He rummaged around in the medical kit and brought out a box of pills and a piece of cloth. "Okay, I'll strap it up and you should take a couple of these."

He handed the box to Rodney and then helped him to sit upright.

Sheppard tried his best to ignore the pained whimpers emanating from Rodney as he carefully immobilised the scientist's damaged arm over his chest with the sling. McKay swallowed a couple of the painkillers and then got up onto shaky legs and went to sit back in his chair in the cockpit.

He looked out of the window and noticed that the stars were tracking up the window at a regular speed. As he watched, the nearest sun went past and disappeared as it reached the top of the window, "Uh..Sheppard? I hope we're on our way back to the gate and into the eager clutches of Atlantis' infirmary staff?"

John left his work in the rear compartment and joined Rodney in the cockpit, "There's no power. I can't reinitialise the engines to get us back."

Rodney sighed and winced. He looked around the cockpit for his computer and spotted it on the floor under one of the rear seats. He tried to get up, but Sheppard quickly followed his gaze and retrieved the computer before the injured man could even leave his seat.

He handed it to Rodney, who laid it on his lap and hunched over as he typed one handed. After a second he looked up and grimaced out of the window, "Are you going to do anything or are you just going to keep staring at me until I pass out?"

Sheppard smiled and sat down in the pilot's chair next to Rodney, "Actually I finished what I was doing." He indicated the rear compartment with a thumb over his shoulder.

Rodney swivelled his seat around to avoid having to move his neck and frowned when he saw the rear compartment was covered with neatly laid out equipment. He eyed the defibrillator from the medical kit nervously and then his gaze darted back to Sheppard, "What like a supply inventory?"

Sheppard nodded grimly, "If we can't get the power back we need to be prepared."

Rodney turned back to the front of the Jumper in his chair and worked on the laptop as Sheppard went into the rear compartment, pausing to grab the fire extinguishers from the walls in the cockpit as he passed.

After just a couple of minutes, Rodney already knew they were in serious trouble. He got up from his seat and trying not to jolt his damaged arm strapped securely across his chest he slowly walked into the rear compartment to join Sheppard.

John looked up from the bench where he was sorting piles of equipment. He pointed at one side of the floor to where there were guns, ammo and a few other things. He said, "Useless." He then indicated the much larger pile of equipment and gave Rodney the thumbs up, "Useful!"

Sheppard continued to look at Rodney with an expectant grin on his face, but the scientist sighed and rolled his eyes, "I hope you don't expect a pat on the back for your ingenuity Colonel; I'm a little busy using my single functioning arm to get us out of this."

Sheppard's face fell and he looked down at the pile of items still to be sorted on the bench next to him.

McKay frowned that the defibrillator, which had now been joined by the oxygen tank from the medical kit, was in the 'useful' pile.

Sheppard chucked a couple of MREs and some blankets off the bench and slid along so that Rodney could sit next to him.

McKay sighed and put the laptop down between them so that he could cradle the forearm of his damaged limb.

"Whatever that wave was, it drained most of the power. My best estimate gives us about four hours of life support."

Sheppard leant forward in thought and then sat upright again, "But that's fine, we're four hours away from the gate."

Rodney grimaced, "Notice how I said 'life support' in that sentence, Colonel. There's nowhere near enough power for the engines to work for any length of time, unless you want Atlantis to find an icicle physicist and an ice cream Colonel when they open the rear hatch."

Sheppard frowned, "What about just a short burst to correct our course and at least send us in the general direction of the gate?"

Rodney picked up the tablet again in his right hand and rested in on his knees as he worked, "The 'burst' you speak of will mean we'll be completely out of power in three hours and it will take us a lot longer than that to reach the gate."

"Atlantis aren't expecting us back for another six hours McKay!" He paused for a moment and then looked up in hope, "Unless we go to the planet."

Rodney shook his head and gasped as it twinged his shoulder painfully, "That won't work either; unless you want our colleagues to have to sort through the debris for days only to find roast Sheppard and squashed McKay; when we inevitably crash on the planet without inertial dampeners."

Sheppard scowled, "I'm not liking your attitude McKay! You need to think of something or we're both dead!"

Rodney flinched at the outburst and shrank away from Sheppard as much as he could. He tapped on the computer screen dejectedly and muttered under his breath, "Lay into the injured man…It's not enough that it still hurts like I think I'm going to pass out, now you have to threaten me with imminent death too…" He sighed sadly, hunched over and turned a little on the bench so that he could no longer see Sheppard looking at him from the corner of his eye.

John frowned at Rodney's back and turned to look at the pile of useful items he had found in the Jumper. Usually Rodney worked better under pressure, but his shoulder must be more damaged than Sheppard had thought to produce such an uncharacteristic reaction. He looked guiltily at the oxygen tank and wished he could use it to try and alleviate his friend's suffering, but he knew the meagre amount of air the container held was possibly their only hope of getting out of this.

McKay looked up after a couple more minutes and gazed blankly across the rear compartment. Sheppard watched his face and noticed that his eyes were not focused on anything. He hoped it was the beginning of a solution developing in Rodney's mind and not a sign that he was about to keel over unconscious.

"Any ideas?" He asked quietly.

Rodney snapped back at him, "Plenty, thanks."

When he did not elaborate, Sheppard had to coax him, "And?"

Rodney looked at him angrily, "Well for a start, we're still using too much power." He lifted the edge of the tablet in his one free hand and said, "If you could grab the lead and plug it in up there." He looked up at the crystal tray above them.

Sheppard did as he was asked and then sat back down.

Rodney typed as fast as he could, but it was slow going with one arm out of commission. The lights turned out, plunging them into semi-darkness.

"Okay," he said after a while, "I've reduced the CO2 scrubber output to a very low level. We'll still be able to breathe, but it's not going to be pleasant. I've also reduced the power to the heating system and shut down all non-essential systems."

Sheppard nodded, "Good work."

"Hmm, there's still one thing we can do. If you could lift up the deck panel in the cockpit? I believe there are two drones that missed your not so thorough inventory."

Sheppard smiled and returned with the drones a moment later. He laid them carefully on the floor in front of the scientist.

Sheppard then gave Rodney a knowing look, "What about using that too?" He pointed at the defibrillator.

McKay suddenly looked very worried and shocked as he put his free hand over his heart under the sling, "What…what for?" He stammered.

Sheppard frowned in exasperation, "Power supply, McKay."

Rodney relaxed a little and sat down on the floor next to the drones. He started to painstakingly dismantle the weapons with his one working hand and called out to Sheppard behind him, "Alright, get the battery out of the defib machine. Oh and pass me a blanket, I'm starting to lose the feeling in my fingers and toes."

Sheppard slung a blanket over Rodney's shoulders and grabbed one for himself. He was starting to feel light-headed so he sat down heavily on the deck next to the scientist as the man fumbled one-handed with the drone.

Rodney worked his fingers under the tendrils attached to the weapon and carefully detached them. He then pulled out one of the components and placed it to one side.

Suddenly Rodney muttered in triumph, "Ah ha!" And the drone powered on to flood the rear compartment with a bright yellow light.

Sheppard shot to his feet and pulled the other man away from the activated weapon. Rodney cried out as his injured shoulder was wrenched and fell backwards onto the deck where he lay with his eyes closed and panting in pain.

Sheppard let go of him and frowned when he realised they were still alive, "What did you do McKay?!"

Rodney cracked his eyes open narrowly as he lay on his back on the deck. He looked sad and betrayed as he gazed up at the man looming over him, "I just saved us," he gasped, "Removed the detonator and, and, and activated it. Should be enough heat for us to not need the power from the Jumper at all."

He then closed his eyes and his head fell limply to the side.

Sheppard crouched down next to him and shook his uninjured shoulder gently, "Rodney?"

Getting no reply he muttered, "Crap…" so he shook the man a little harder.

McKay groaned and mumbled, "Would you quit that?"

"Sorry Rodney, you still have work to do."

"Yes, I do don't I? Because as usual I'm the only one who can save you."

Sheppard helped McKay to sit up and said, "You have to save yourself too."

Rodney retrieved the tablet and turned the heating off completely.

"So how long so we have?" Sheppard asked, handing the battery from the defibrillator to the scientist. He then moved his hands down to hover them over the glowing drone on the deck between them to warm them up.

"Hmm, I can't give you a precise figure, but probably still an hour short than the time it will take for Atlantis to dial in, realise we're in trouble and send a rescue ship. It will then of course take time for them to reach us and figure out what to do."

Sheppard smiled, "Well at least it's better than before. While we sit here and wait, why don't we try and figure out a way for them to get us out when they arrive."

Rodney looked up, "As much as I like staying as still as possible at the moment, we really should move into the cockpit and seal the central door to conserve heat."

Sheppard helped Rodney to move across the Jumper and settled him on the floor in the front half of the Jumper. He then made several dizzy trips backwards and forwards to move all the equipment. He had to use his boot to roll the active drone into the cockpit as it was too hot to touch.

* * *

Rodney shivered and pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders, wincing as he tugged his sling. He had let Sheppard hold the oxygen mask over his face for too long, but could not feel his arm to lift it up and push the mask away for the other man to have some air.

Sheppard was sitting close by so that they were almost touching, but it had not got that far yet. The last drone shone dimly as its power supply came closer to exhaustion.

After a couple more breaths, Sheppard pulled the mask away and Rodney gasped as it hit him suddenly just how shallow the air was around them. He felt terrible and like he was going to pass out as he struggled to draw in rapid and wheezing breaths.

Sheppard hastily took one breath and again put the mask over Rodney's face, nearly poking his eye out in the process.

Rodney looked over at him indignantly, but his anger fell flat when he saw Sheppard's tired and ashen face. He forced his arm out from under the blanket and easily took the mask out of Sheppard's hand. He grimaced and his teeth chattered as he forced it over the other man's mouth and nose.

The shivering was using up far too much oxygen and Rodney soon keeled over into Sheppard as he ran out of air.

John frowned and his head cleared slightly from the mask on his face. He then felt a heavy impact to his side and the precious air was wrenched away from his face. He grabbed hold of Rodney as the man nearly face planted onto the deck and drew him closer. He savagely shoved the mask over the scientist's face again and drew in deep slow breaths of his own.

The tank was far too small for them though and soon ran out.

Both men found themselves slumping down onto the deck tiredly as the cold and lack of oxygen finally caught up with them.

Sheppard was already unconscious when he hit the floor and his face was pale and blue. Rodney glanced over at him and wished that he had been able to find the strength to be more insistent and let the Colonel have more of the oxygen.

As he closed his eyes and floated away, he heard the sound of a door opening and heavy space-suited boots sent tremors through the deck, jarring his damaged shoulder sharply. Something was clamped over his face and he felt a soft puff of air entering his lungs.

Rodney smiled as he knew, even through the sleepy haze, that they had been rescued and he would be safe and warm and breathing properly in the infirmary the next time he woke up. As the oxygen flowed through his system Rodney stopped fighting the waves of weariness and allowed his world to go numbly and blissfully black.

* * *

A/N – this is my SGA homage to ST:ENT's 'Shuttlepod One' and ST:VOY's 'Day of Honour' and has been at the top of my 'fics I must write' list since I wrote PJM5…


	28. Buoyancy

Disclaimer – Whatever

Spoilers for 'Grace Under Pressure' and possibly 'Echoes'

**Buoyancy**

The team sat around the table in the Briefing Room. Dr Weir pressed her fingers together, "So the people of P07734 are willing to trade with us?"

John smiled at her, while Rodney grimaced, "Sure. They have loads of livestock and fruit."

Rodney muttered, "If you like goats."

Ronon said, "It's food isn't it? If it moves, you can eat it."

Teyla rolled her eyes and Rodney shuddered.

Elizabeth grinned at the banter and said, "That's good news. Anyway if there is no other business…"

Rodney suddenly piped up, "Uh…actually…I've just had an idea on a modification we could make to the Puddle Jumpers."

He looked around at the expectant faces and then typed a few keys on his computer. The main monitor by the wall turned on and showed a top down schematic of a Jumper.

Rodney stood up and went over to stand next to the picture, "We all know if there's a catastrophic power loss and a Jumper lands on water, it will just sink." He grimaced and lifted a hand up to touch the side of his head absent-mindedly.

Elizabeth looked worried and encouraged him, "Go on."

Rodney snapped his eyes back up and lowered his hand, "Uh… yes, I've been working on a method for attaching floatation devices to the drive pods, which would inflate and lift the Jumper out of the water."

John asked, "What about reconfiguring the shields to use an air bubble to float the Jumper?"

Rodney shook his head, "Wouldn't work without any power." He rolled his eyes and mumbled off to the side, "Which is the whole point of the project."

He pressed a control in his hand and the screen switched to show the mechanism for inflating the devices. He pointed at the display and said, "They have a separate power source, a battery if you like, so even if all other systems were offline they would still work."

John grinned, "Sort of like kiddies' swimming arm bands?"

Rodney folded his arms over his chest and gave him a sour look, "Yes, that's exactly what it's like."

Elizabeth mulled over for a while and then said, "It sounds like a good idea. What do you need?"

Rodney unfolded his arms and said, "Well, I've been working on it for a few weeks now. I've got a prototype ready for testing, but I'll need to monitor it from outside the Jumper to make sure it works in the water."

John nodded, "I'll fly it. You'll just need to tell me what to do."

Elizabeth smiled, "Whenever you're ready Dr McKay."

Rodney flipped off the screen and grabbed his laptop to head down to the science lab.

* * *

Rodney stood with Dr Zelenka in the Jumper Bay. The craft they were working on had large, bright orange floatation aids fully inflated. They covered a large proportion of the hull at the rear of the ship.

Rodney was typing on a tablet outside and occasionally looked up and tapped a few commands into the panel built into the orange material. His computer was hooked up to the panel and he occasionally sighed and shifted his feet impatiently while he worked.

Zelenka stood inside the rear compartment and was tweaking the small box attached to one side of the interior of the Jumper.

He straightened up and headed outside to stand next to Rodney.

"It's all set."

Rodney nodded and unplugged his tablet. He reached forwards and pressed one of the controls on the panel.

They both stood back and watched as the orange floatation devices shrunk simultaneously with a hiss and disappeared back into two devices attached to the side of each of the drive pods.

Radek smiled at their success, while Rodney grimaced and looked down at his tablet to study the data.

He then glanced back up and frowned at the side of the Jumper, "We'll still need to monitor a practical test."

Zelenka said, "There are three ways you could monitor it. But you'll need to be close."

Rodney looked at him, "You mean: _you_ could monitor it."

"Oh no no no! I'm sorry Rodney, it's your idea, so you're going."

Rodney looked at him angrily but then softened slightly as he sighed, "Very well."

Radek continued, "Anyway, to monitor; either you could use a boat…"

"No way! Have you seen those whales?"

Zelenka ignored him as he carried on, "…stand on the rear hatch of a Jumper or hang out from the back of a Jumper."

Rodney grimaced, "You know what? I don't think I like this idea anymore."

Radek raised his eyebrows and turned to him, "You got yourself into it, let me see, who was it who said 'I'll need to monitor it from the outside?'"

Rodney waved his hand in front of himself and lowered his chin as he muttered, "I know." He grimaced, "I suppose all I have to do now is decide which of the three options is less humiliating if something goes wrong."

* * *

Rodney stood in the rear compartment of the Jumper next to Ronon and Teyla.

Rodney stepped into and secured the harness around his hips and legs. He then grabbed the helmet Ronon offered him and secured the strap under his chin. He then put on some goggles.

Teyla gave him a reassuring nod while Ronon tried not to laugh.

Rodney held up one finger and looked annoyed, "Safety first!"

He then clipped a tablet to the front of his tac vest, while Ronon threaded a rope securely through his harness.

Teyla and Ronon then secured their own harnesses with separate ropes. Rodney smiled bravely and gave them a double thumbs up, "Okay let's do it."

Teyla rolled her eyes and tapped her radio, "Teyla to Jumper Two."

John answered, "_This is Sheppard. Go ahead."_

"We are ready to proceed if you are."

There was a slight pause, _"You have a go. Dr Zelenka says he is also ready in this Jumper."_

Rodney called out to Major Lorne in the cockpit, "Okay. Open the hatch."

He shoved his hands into gloves and shuffled nervously over to the hatch as it opened. He peered over the edge and stepped back quickly holding the rope attached to his harness tightly.

Ronon said, "It's alright McKay. We're only a few metres up. If the rope breaks we'll have you out of the water in no time."

Teyla patted Rodney on the back gently when he looked at her with slightly distorted wide eyes through the goggles.

She smiled, "You will be fine. We are both here to help you."

Rodney nodded and set his face in a grim and steely expression as he stepped up to the open hatch. He sat down slowly and then slipped himself off the edge.

Ronon and Teyla also had gloves on and lowered him down so that he was hanging just above the water next to the other Jumper which was hovering close to the sea. The floatation devices had not yet been activated.

Rodney closed his eyes until he suddenly stopped moving down and swung gently at the end of the rope. He could feel the wind against his face and was glad the sea was as calm as it was for the test.

He reached up a shaking hand and tapped his radio, "McKay to Zelenka. I'm in position, activate the floats."

Rodney watched and could feel cramps building up in his hands where he held onto the rope. The harness was biting into him where it held his weight and made him grimace. He was several metres away from the craft and lifted up his tablet to monitor the inflation. He had rigged it so that he had a direct feed from the sensor readings.

The power in the Jumper in front of him suddenly went offline and it sank beneath the surface with a loud 'plop' and a splash.

Rodney got control of his nerves in the excitement of the experiment and realised he would have to trust the harness to hold him. He let go with both hands and used one to hold the tablet and the other to type. He reached up to scratch his head and his fingers bumped off the side of the helmet and made him sigh in annoyance.

The Jumper soon bobbed back up to the surface as the floatation aids worked, but it stayed mostly submerged.

Rodney tapped his radio again, "McKay to Zelenka. It's not working properly. Can you increase the amount of air in the devices?"

"_Sorry Rodney. You'll have to reconfigure it from outside."_

Rodney nodded, "Okay. Standby."

He hit the radio again, "McKay to Ronon. I need a bit of slack to get closer to the other Jumper."

He suddenly plummeted and was dunked underwater. He had not been expecting it and inhaled a mouthful of water.

Rodney felt a sharp tug on the harness as he was pulled out of the water. He coughed and let go of the tablet to put his hands up to his face. He shivered at how cold the water was and gasped, "I didn't… mean… that much."

He was glad the tablet was waterproof and that he was wearing goggles and did not have stinging seawater in his eyes to contend with in addition to the cold.

"I sh-should've worn a wetsuit. I th-think I'm getting hypothermia," he said as another shudder rolled through his body and his teeth chattered together.

Teyla's voice came over the radio, _"We are sorry Rodney. It is difficult for us to see how far above the water you are from up here. Are you in the correct place now?"_

Rodney opened his eyes and used a hand to turn himself around on the rope. He was right next to the orange floatation device on the side of the partially submerged Jumper.

"Yes, that's fine. Thanks," he said sarcastically.

Rodney reached forwards and plugged a cable from his tablet into the panel on the side of the material, even as he had done earlier.

He typed using his shaking hands and squelched his wet gloves on the screen. It was difficult and delicate work and he was slowed by the cold. He eventually gave up and had to take off the gloves. He tucked them inside his tac vest and carried on working.

After a few minutes he stopped tapping and looked up to watch as the Jumper in front of him slowly rose fully out of the water. He said in triumph, "That's it! The Jumper is now floating!"

Sheppard's startled voice came over the radio suddenly, _"I'm detecting a large number of life signs directly under the water."_

Rodney's eyes widened and he looked down at the sea in panic, barely a metre below his feet .

Sheppard spoke again, _"They seem to be attracted to the floats. They're gathering around them. Maybe they like the colour?"_

Rodney grimaced, "Oh hilarious! We finally get it working and the fish decide they like it enough to come and have a look too."

Rodney was just reaching forwards to unplug his tablet from the panel, when the float he was hanging next to exploded in his face.

He cried out as his whole body was pelted with pieces of high velocity thick orange material. He was also flung at high speed away from the Jumper and he quickly reached the apex of the arc of his swing and started to drop back down.

He covered his already well protected, helmeted head with his arms and curled up against the harness as he fell towards the rapidly sinking Jumper.

Rodney's side slammed into the hull of the ship just before it sank beneath the surface.

All the breath left his body and he relaxed his muscles so that his arms and legs fell down from the position he had curled into. He let himself hang limply on the end of the rope while he focused all his attention on forcing his uncooperative lungs to draw in a breath.

He furrowed his brow and writhed until he finally managed to suck in a laboured breath. Rodney then looked down at himself as he felt the now familiar bite of the harness around his hips as it pulled him away from the water and up towards the Jumper hovering overhead. He could feel the stinging cuts and gashes all over himself as painful salt water from his drenched clothes ran into them.

He shuddered in pain and it made him gasp for breath as he felt something shift and snap in his chest.

Rodney dimly heard voices above him and over the radio as he felt hands grabbing hold of him and lifting him over the hatch. They kept him in a firm grasp as they gently laid him down on the floor in the rear compartment of the Jumper.

"_What happened?"_ Zelenka asked

Sheppard replied, _"The fish, I think they bit through the material."_

Teyla spoke, "Rodney has been hurt. We are heading straight back to Atlantis."

Rodney closed his eyes as the same hands which had helped him back onboard carefully pressed bandages against the worst of the lacerations. He winced as pain rolled through him and made him gasp against his damaged ribcage.

He flinched when he felt hands brushing against his chin, close to the strap for his helmet, but they suddenly went away.

Ronon said, "I think we'd better leave it on for now."

The pain and his difficulty breathing soon became too much for Rodney and he slipped away from consciousness.

* * *

"Good thing he was wearing it or else it would've been a funeral rather than a trip to the infirmary for our Rodney."

McKay blinked bleary eyed up at the speaker. His vision was blurred for a moment and then the familiar face of Dr Beckett came into focus; standing over him and talking across at someone sitting next to him.

He turned his head and closed his eyes and furrowed his brow as smarting, stinging sensations erupted across him due to the movement. The beep of his heart monitor sped up and gave him away.

"Ah Rodney, nice of you to join us. Hang on a moment lad and I'll give you something for that."

Numbness spread over Rodney and he was able to open his eyes again as the pain faded away. He looked tiredly at Sheppard who was holding a round object in his hand.

John held it up so that Rodney could see it. He winced when he recognized it as the helmet he had been wearing during his fateful experiment. There was a large gouge in the top with slight orange flecks of colour at the edges. John put his fingers inside the gash to illustrate how deep it was.

"You sure are lucky Rodney," John said smiling.

Rodney muttered, "I don't feel very lucky."

Carson smiled sadly down at him, "Aye Rodney, a broken rib and several deep cuts which gave us quite a scare before we were able to stitch them up."

Rodney closed his eyes and felt a light pressure on his arm. He heard a shifting in the seat next to him. He then heard John's voice, much closer and quieter than it had been before, "Zelenka's going to change the colour of the floats, but it was a complete success. I have to admit that it's not just going to be you who feels safer whenever we're in the water in the Jumpers."

Rodney tried to smile and felt the muscles in the corners of his mouth twitching up. He was glad the mission had been green-lit. He had fought with himself over whether he was being selfish to carry out his project for mostly personal reasons. After all, he was the one who had become trapped in a sinking Jumper with little hope of salvation.

He felt relief wash over him as he fell asleep again.

* * *

A/N – The goat stuff and planet P07734 (seriously - type it into a calculator and turn it upside down) is an 'in joke' for the people who read my Crack!Fic 'Separating the Men from the Boys.'


	29. The Roaring Rockfall

Disclaimer – Whatever

**The Roaring Rockfall**

Ronon narrowed his eyes as he scanned the thinly scattered trees around him. He did not like how open the land was and how an enemy would be able to hide easily behind one of the trees if they wanted to attack.

His eyes occasionally flicked in front of him onto McKay's back to make sure he was still safe. He could hear the scientist jabbering away about what he needed to do and Ronon would grunt in agreement whenever he heard a long and expectant pause.

Rodney kept speaking as he walked, "I can't believe these people are going to give us the device! All I need is to _borrow_ some power crystals from the Jumper, interface them with the machine and then the device is ours!"

Ronon nodded even though Rodney could not see him. A thought suddenly struck him, "But McKay, how will we get out of here?"

Rodney stopped and spun around. He folded his arms over his chest and said in an annoyed manner, "Notice how I said 'borrow' I even remember emphasising that particular word."

Ronon kept his eyes darting in between the trees and then settled them on the face of the angry man in front of him, "Uh…sure. But we don't want to get stuck here McKay. The gate's quite a long way away."

Rodney sighed and scowled before he turned back around to continue trudging along. After a while he began prattling on about Ancient technology and power supplies, but Ronon let the words wash over him as he continued to focus his attention on keeping his teammate out of trouble and free from attack. The villagers had been very friendly, but Ronon was not going to let their hospitality make him relax his guard for a moment. If anything it made him all the more wary.

They walked over the crest of a small hill and an open and slightly sloping plain spread out before them. Ronon fingered his blaster as his eyes roved over the new and potential threat of such a large expanse of land where there was so little cover to hide behind if they came under fire.

Ronon stopped for a moment near a tree as Rodney bent over double and gasped, "Phew! That was hell of a climb. My legs are killing me."

He actually welcomed the extra time as it gave him an edge to scope out the barren land. The ground was rocky and sparse tufts of grass sprouted out between the stones. To the left of where they stood the slope gradually got steeper and there were a few more trees perched precariously against the side of a sweeping mountain range dominating the skyline. Large rocks and boulders along with fine chips and pebbles covered the whole side of the mountain. The landscape seemed to have been fashioned by giants; almost like one fell swipe of an enormous hand had pushed up the rocks to make the mountains.

The bright sun shone down to illuminate the entire scene and Ronon took a deep breath as he marvelled at the colossal size of the stunning landscape.

Rodney seemed to be taking a little too long to recover so Ronon patted his hunched back gently, "Let's get going McKay. Sheppard and Teyla are waiting for us."

Rodney panted lightly as he straightened up and looked at Ronon. He muttered, "Okay," and then started to walk forwards out into the open.

Ronon pushed a hand against the scientist's chest to stop him, "I'll go first. Keep your eyes open."

Rodney sighed in exasperation and said sarcastically, "Because I like to walk with my eyes closed so that I frequently bump into walls!"

Ronon smiled and stepped out from the protection of the tree and walked across the seemingly empty slope in front of them.

As he walked the Puddle Jumper materialized in front of him. He turned and saw Rodney pointing the decloaking device at the craft.

Ronon could feel the slight camber of the slope where the Jumper was parked on his legs and he leaned slightly against the hill to stay upright.

He said, "Okay. Grab your gear and then let's get going."

Rodney opened the hatch and stepped inside.

Ronon felt uneasy being such an exposed target next to the craft and on the plain. He decided to head back to the hill he and Rodney had climbed a moment ago. That way he could keep his sharp eyes on the whole valley and head off anyone if they threatened the man he had been tasked to watch over. Ronon figured that if anyone got within shooting range of the open rear hatch they would need to be behind him so he felt confident he had the situation covered.

He was soon at the top of the small hill and scanned the valley and around behind himself for any potential threats. His eyes were just roving around their second pass when he saw a slight puff of what looked like smoke coming from the side of the mountain off to the left. He squinted his far seeing eyes and shrugged when he saw there were no other people in sight. He then looked back down the plain away from the mountain range.

Suddenly there was a loud rumble and the ground shook violently. Ronon was forced to his knees with a grunt as the once stable land jerked to one side and then the other in rapid succession. He pushed himself upright, just in time to see a massive avalanche of rocks, boulders and broken trees rolling down the mountainside towards the sitting Jumper.

He quickly ran through the scenario in his mind and decided that the flow was going too fast for him to get to McKay in time. He tapped his radio and shouted above the noise of clashing rock, "McKay! Close the hatch and fly the Jumper off the ground!"

Rodney's panicked and high-pitched voice replied, _"I-I-I can't! I just removed the power crystals!"_

Ronon frowned and calculated the velocity of the rapidly approaching debris. The ground shook under his feet as he stumbled and ran towards the Jumper which had the man he had to protect inside.

He had barely moved a couple of metres down towards the craft when the avalanche hit the Jumper side on. There was a cry of shock over the radio and then it went dead.

Ronon only just ran out of the path of the rocks in time. He reached the top of the crest he had previously been standing on and rode out the rest of the earthquake as he watched the Jumper rolling over and over on its side as it was pushed along by the flow. He thought he could see that the rear hatch had been closed, but he was unsure as there was so much debris. The craft kept disappearing underneath the rock flow like it was in a river and kept getting dragged beneath the water.

Just as savagely as it had started, the tremendous thundering sound of the avalanche and earthquake stopped. Smashed trees creaked as some fell over. A smattering of clinking rocks could be heard as they adjusted to their new positions on the valley floor.

Ronon ran along the side of the debris in the direction the Jumper had been pushed. He tapped his radio, "Ronon to McKay. Respond."

He growled when there was no reply and forced himself to run faster. He had to jump over fallen tree branches and large rocks strewn across the path. "Ronon to McKay!"

The only reply he got was silence. He tapped the headset again, "Ronon to Sheppard and Teyla."

There was a slight pause before John's voice came over the radio, _"This is Sheppard. Are you alright? That was quite a tremor!"_

Ronon grunted, "I'm fine, but there was a massive avalanche in the valley where we left the Jumper."

Teyla said, _"Where is Rodney?"_

Ronon frowned, "He was on the Jumper. I can't reach him on the radio."

There was a long silence and Ronon took the opportunity to fill his lungs with air as he sprinted along the side of the landslide looking over the debris for any signs of the Jumper's hull.

John then spoke, _"We're coming right back."_

Ronon said, "Okay. But it was a half-hour walk with McKay."

Teyla said, _"We will run and be with you as soon as we can."_

Ronon ran onwards still not seeing the Jumper anywhere. He shook his head in exasperation that such a large craft could be completely buried in the debris.

He stopped for a moment and let his eyes scan the whole of the plain before him. Only more broken, fallen trees and boulders were visible. He tapped his radio again, "Ronon to McKay? Uh…Rodney?" He felt uncomfortable using the scientist's first name, but if he was hurt he might need some coaxing to wake up so that he could get the Jumper out of the debris.

"McKay if you can hear me; respond. Why don't you power up those engines and fly out or something. I'm sure that big brain of yours can think of a better way to get yourself out of it."

Ronon frowned when there was still no reply. He ran onwards to get a better vantage point over the debris in order to try and locate the Jumper and the missing scientist.

* * *

Rodney whistled a soft, tuneless melody and bit his lip as he reached under the control panel in the Jumper and pulled out some power crystals.

He held them up to the light streaming through the window and nodded in satisfaction. He then carefully tucked them into the rucksack which lay open on the seat next to him. He zipped up the bag and was about to sling it over his shoulders when the earthquake started.

Rodney fell down onto the floor as his hands were holding the bag and he did not find anything to steady himself in time. He cursed and rolled over to push himself slowly upright. There was a loud noise rumbling around in the Jumper and he wondered what it was as it continued to increase in volume.

The deck of the Jumper continued to rattle and shake. Rodney held onto the back of one of the seats and edged himself along to get into the rear hatch to make sure Ronon was alright.

He was still leaning over one of the benches when he heard Ronon shouting in his headset_, "McKay! Close the hatch and fly the Jumper off the ground!"_

He frowned as he stood firm against the earthquake. There was no way the Jumper could fly. He turned his head and saw the fast approaching avalanche out of the window. His eyes widened in realisation and panic, "I-I-I can't! I just removed the power crystals!"

His mind worked to try and think of a way out. The rolling rocks and boulders were coming in too fast for him to be able to get the crystals back in place to fly the Jumper away. He doubted whether he even had enough time to stagger back to the cockpit on the unstable floor as it seemed that the seconds before impact were ticking down too quickly. He hoped Ronon was alright and also prayed that there was still some residual power in the Ancient systems.

The noise of the tumbling debris smashing against the ground and the trees increased to a deafening level as it suddenly ran into the side of the Jumper. Rodney cried out in shock at the sudden jolt from the impact.

He snagged his hand around the emergency rear hatch control and the door closed, but not before some of the debris got inside the craft.

Rodney silently cursed the Ancients for making the Jumpers cylindrical and so easy to roll if pushed properly. In the pounding flow of debris the craft did not stand a chance against the onslaught.

After the first two rolls of the Jumper, Rodney decided that he wanted to get off the ride. He cast his mind back to the rolling tubes at old fairgrounds and winced when he remembered how hopeless he had been at getting the rhythm to not fall down and roll uselessly along the ground as the walls rotated around him. He had quickly decided, all those years ago, that they were not any fun at all. But the ride he was currently trapped on was more bruising and deadly and would most likely kill him if it did not stop soon.

The crashing and banging sounds of the rocks and boulders against the Jumper kept up their unbearable volume as they dented and tore into the hull of the craft.

It went on and on and on with no respite and no relief. Rodney continued to smash into the walls in terror as the centre of gravity kept shifting. He whacked his arm on one pass, then his side, leg, back; no part of him was safe from the impacts. The rocks which had come into the craft before he had got the hatch closed joined him in the tumbling and bounced off his body painfully and sometimes dug into him when he landed on them on the new floor of the Jumper.

He desperately tried to find a purchase on one side of the Jumper as it was shoved onwards by the rockslide. His grip would be wrenched away as the turning was so unpredictable and he could not brace himself in the correct direction as the floor became the ceiling again.

He felt himself getting weaker and weaker as he was pummelled by debris and slammed forcefully into each wall of the Jumper. Everything hurt, his arms, legs, chest and head all vied for his attention as they begged him for an end of the abuse he was laying down into them. His body was crying out for mercy and for him to stop the punishment he was putting it through.

Rodney tried to assure himself that it would end soon and he just needed to hold on and not break or bleed too much as he continued to bounce and smash frighteningly into each wall.

Very soon, Rodney was so bloody and battered that the extra hits and pain became meaningless, as they could not increase the agony any further.

He tried in vain to stand up and step onto the approaching wall as it headed towards him. But as in the fairground rolling tubes, but much worse because he could not escape and the walls around him were flat, he failed.

The oncoming wall smacked Rodney in the head and he finally lost consciousness. He continued to fall against the walls as he was tossed around in the back of the Jumper, but was no longer aware of the damage his body was suffering.

* * *

Ronon's eyes continued to scan over the fallen rocks and branches intertwined within the debris field. He had not come across the end of the flow and was curious as to how far the rock flow had gone down into the valley. He hoped the Jumper had not been dragged all the way to the bottom.

He narrowed his eyes as something glinted in the sunlight back at him. He shifted slightly to get a better look at the source of the reflection. It seemed like there was a piece of metal visible in the surrounding debris.

Ronon walked over to the edge of the rocks and saw a slight ridge on the metal he had seen. He knew it was the Jumper and reached up to activate his radio again, "McKay?" He sighed, "Rodney? Can you hear me? I think I can see the Jumper. I'm coming to get you."

He scrabbled up onto the rocks and carefully climbed across the top of the debris. He tested his footing before he placed his weight. Sometimes the area he chose would slip and cave in so he would put his foot elsewhere until he could safely continue.

He was soon crouched down next to the only visible section of the Jumper's hull and put a hand against the metal. He noticed a seam in the part he was touching. He lifted off some debris and widened his eyes when he realised he was next to the rear hatch of the craft. It seemed to be buried and angled down slightly. Ronon was surprised at how deep the avalanche debris was to almost cover the whole craft.

He reached across and began digging a channel in the rocks around the rear hatch to get inside. He ignored his hands as some of the stones bit and cut them as he hurried to get to his trapped teammate.

Ronon continued to toss the pebbles and small boulders aside, even if more fell into the hole he created. He knew if McKay was hurt that every second counted. He frowned and roared in exertion when he had to lift and move aside a particularly heavy piece of debris wedged in against a branch.

Suddenly a voice called out behind him, "Need a hand there buddy?"

Ronon turned and saw that Sheppard, Teyla and a number of the villagers from earlier had begun to scramble over the rubble on all fours to help him.

Sheppard waved the life signs detector at him, "Rodney's still alive, but barely. Have you been able to contact him yet?"

Ronon shook his head and Teyla looked grim when she said, "We have been trying too." She then looked at the villagers around them, "The Alsonians very kindly agreed to help us when they heard our friend was missing."

Sheppard stood up straight once he reached Ronon, "Their village was badly damaged by the earthquake, but they're more worried about people than the buildings for now."

Teyla crouched down to help Ronon dig, "Everyone from the village is accounted for. There are a few scrapes and bruises but nothing too serious."

Sheppard also started bailing out the rocks as they slipped down into the sizable hole Ronon had already made around the rear hatch of the Jumper. "They found out McKay was in some kind of trouble and we couldn't turn down their help." He smiled as the people from the village joined the three Lanteans in their efforts to uncover the buried Jumper. "They were very insistent, despite the obvious danger of being on top of a debris field, which could collapse at any moment."

Ronon nodded at the villagers in gratitude and carried on digging.

They soon had the whole rear hatch exposed and Sheppard felt it was safe to try and open the door. He indicated to the villagers to stand back as he activated the emergency door release on his remote control and the hatch locking mechanism deactivated.

With John and Teyla's help, Ronon lifted the heavy hatch open and went inside the rear compartment looking for his missing and unresponsive friend.

The Jumper had finished its journey the correct way up, but the deck sloped slightly downwards towards the window.

Rodney was lying unconscious on the floor on his back and his face was bruised and streaked with blood. John and Teyla pushed past Ronon and knelt down on either side of the man. Ronon grabbed the med kit which was still secured in the webbing suspended from the ceiling in the rear compartment. He turned back to his injured teammate and saw John checking for a pulse while Teyla spoke quietly into McKay's ear, "Rodney? Can you hear me?"

Ronon unzipped the bag and narrowed his eyes as he scanned along McKay's body for damage. He could see there was blood steadily leaking from a large gash on Rodney's temple as well as from his nose and mouth.

Sheppard looked up at Ronon, "He's still alive. We need to get him back to Atlantis. I think he's got internal injuries."

Ronon replied, "But the check in isn't for hours. How are we going to get back?"

Teyla pursed her lips and watched as Rodney's chest jerked and his breath came out in a rattling wheeze. Ronon passed her a bandage and she wrapped it around McKay's head with John's help. Ronon then pulled out the oxygen tank and mask and gave it to Sheppard who slipped over McKay's mouth.

Sheppard suddenly looked up at Ronon as he continued to loom over them. "Did Rodney remove the power crystals?"

Ronon replied, "Yes. I don't know what he did with them though."

John looked away and hardened his face to make it impassive. Ronon looked around the interior of the Jumper and suddenly saw the rucksack lying on the control panel by the window in the cockpit.

"Hey, maybe he put them in there?" He pointed at the bag.

John followed his finger and got up to grab the rucksack. Ronon went over and took Sheppard's place next to the prone figure on the floor in front of him. He shared a look of worry with Teyla and then turned his gaze down to examine McKay more closely.

He slowly and carefully unzipped Rodney's tac vest to ease the man's breathing. As he reached the end and the vest hung open a slight groan escaped McKay's blood filled mouth and fogged up the mask.

Teyla leaned over and began speaking into Rodney's ear again so that Ronon could not hear what she said. He reacted as fast as lightning as Rodney curled upwards and began to choke, his upper torso leaving the floor as he struggled to breathe. Ronon put firm hands on Rodney's shoulders and gently pushed him back down. Teyla carefully turned his head to the side and lifted the mask so that he could spit out the blood.

Rodney groaned again and winced, "Uh…god it hurts so much! I think I'm going to die." His weak voice was barely audible through the mask.

He kept his eyes closed as his face screwed up in pain, which made him flinch.

Ronon kept hold of Rodney's shoulders in case he tried to move again and spoke firmly, "You're _not_ going to die McKay. You're still alive now aren't you? Somehow I don't think a couple of bruises and a small cut will be able to stop someone as stubborn and cocky as you."

Sheppard called out from the front of the Jumper, "I've found the crystals, but I don't know where they go."

Teyla asked quietly, "Can you open your eyes Rodney? We need your help to reconnect the power crystals."

Ronon frowned when there was no response. McKay needed to fix the Jumper or he probably _would_ die. There was nothing any of them could do about the internal injuries as they sat helplessly watching him getting weaker. He squeezed Rodney's shoulders, but there was still no reply.

Teyla looked up at John in concern as he came back and knelt down by Rodney's head. He held out his hand and showed them the crystals he had found in the rucksack. "Good thing they were already packed up in the padded rucksack or we'd be stuck here with _no_ chance of getting back."

Rodney frowned and grimaced. He tried to curl up again, but Ronon's hands stopped him so his body just trembled and shivered under the grasp.

He coughed again and shuddered before he said, "I… thought… aren't we still buried in a rock flow? Even…even if you get power back, we…can't leave."

John leaned over Rodney's blood soaked, bandaged face and bluffed confidently, "Sure we can leave, but we need power first."

Ronon narrowed his eyes at the Colonel and was about to ask how they were going to fly as the Jumper was buried, but John shook his head and Ronon kept his silence.

Rodney opened his frightened eyes and looked up at his team leaning over him. He drew in a laboured, pained breath and hissed it out again. "Show me the crystals. They go in under the panel in the cockpit. Should be obvious."

Teyla smiled at him and one by one Sheppard held out a crystal and he told him where it went.

"My head hurts and I can't breathe," Rodney gasped just as they finished.

Teyla reached down and put a hand on his face, but only lightly in case there was bruising underneath the blood, "You will be alright Rodney. We are all here to help you."

John put the cover back over the panel he just repaired and turned to Ronon, "Let's go outside and see if we can dig this ship out of the ground."

Rodney winced and closed his eyes as he mumbled, "I knew it! We're not getting out of here and I'll be dead soon."

Sheppard said harshly, "You can't die. Or else who will save us the next time the Wraith show up or get us out of trouble when we get ourselves into the usual mischief?"

Rodney shook slightly, probably as more pain passed through him, "You're right. I'm just so tired and I have such a headache."

Ronon knew time was not on Rodney's side. The man was probably still bleeding out inside and there was nothing any of them could do for him. He therefore dashed out of the rear hatch with Sheppard and left the injured scientist in Teyla's care.

Ronon blinked in the sudden bright sunlight after his eyes had become accustomed to the dull interior of the Jumper. He reeled a little when he saw how many of the villagers had now turned up to help. The leader stepped forwards; Ronon remembered he was called Loki.

"We are very sorry we could not meet under better circumstances. We have done all we can to free your hollow metal vessel from the ground. I hope your friend is going to be alright."

Ronon turned around at the same time as Sheppard and raised his eyebrows in wonder as he saw that the rear half of the Jumper was almost completely dug out of the ground. There were more villagers milling around with shovel-like implements and buckets. They had made fast work of a huge undertaking and Ronon was impressed.

Sheppard's face had an incredulous and surprised look on it, which made Ronon smile in understanding; he knew he probably had a similar expression as they both turned back to Loki.

John was speechless for a few seconds and then gushed in gratitude, "Thank you!" He turned to the crowd, "All of you, we will be back to return the favour and help you rebuild your village if we can get the ship off the ground."

Loki bowed his head and then looked up again at the Lantean, "Of course. We understand that you must urgently get your friend back for medical attention. We look forward to your next visit."

Ronon spoke sincerely, "Yeah thanks. See you soon."

The villagers walked carefully over the rocks and back towards their homes as Sheppard and Ronon ran into the Jumper. Ronon crouched down next to McKay and nodded when he saw the slow breaths still making Rodney's chest rise and fall almost imperceptibly.

Sheppard ran into the cockpit and activated the power. He breathed a sigh of relief when the engines came online. He brought up the HUD and saw that all the villagers were now clear. The Jumper had been sufficiently dug out to extend the drive pods and wrench the front of the craft free from the debris. He checked the inertial dampeners were dialled up to maximum, activated the engines and winced when there was the sound of creaking and protesting metal as the hull of the Jumper tore against the debris it was still half buried under.

Ronon watched Sheppard work for a few minutes until the sound stopped and light came in through the window. He could see large cracks across the glass, but no visible holes. He then glanced down at Rodney, who was again unconscious. Teyla looked at him sadly and gently put a hand on Rodney's shoulder, being careful not to press in case he had damaged it.

Ronon was relieved when the rear hatch opened and Beckett with his medical team swarmed in and around Rodney. He stood up and backed into the cockpit with Teyla and watched as the injured man was immobilised and placed on a gurney. Ronon felt the weight of the scientist's life lifting from his shoulders as it was transferred to the infirmary staff. They quickly inserted tubes and lines into Rodney as they wheeled him away.

Ronon turned to Sheppard and Teyla and then looked down. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I shouldn't have left him alone in the Jumper."

Sheppard quickly shook his head, "It's alright. If you had both been in the Jumper then there would be two people badly injured, if not worse…" he trailed off and Ronon looked back up.

Sheppard seemed sad for a moment and then smiled bravely, "Come on, we need to brief Dr Weir about what happened and then we can head down to the infirmary to see how Rodney is."

* * *

Ronon sat with Rodney in the infirmary shortly after he was released from surgery. Sheppard, Teyla and Weir had been there to start with, but Carson would only let one person stay longer. Ronon had verbally fought with Sheppard and had won this time.

He looked along McKay's still form and took in the splints and bandages. Rodney had been very badly hurt, from what Ronon could understand of Carson's medical speak; a broken collar bone, ribs, as well as many other fractures, internal bleeding and a punctured lung were some of the long list of hurts the Scottish Doctor had reeled off in quick succession.

Carson had shaken his head in surprise that Rodney had been delivered to him still alive when he heard what had happened. Ronon told them about seeing the Jumper rolling through the rock flow before it disappeared.

Ronon watched the air tube in Rodney's mouth and frowned when he heard a rhythmic sigh at the same time as McKay's chest rose and fell. He still marvelled at the medical technology the people from Earth had brought with them. Ronon would have been dead if he had received injuries like McKay's had he still been back on Sateda. He was glad to be in Atlantis amongst people who could bring his friends, maybe even himself if it were ever necessary, back from the brink of death.

Carson came over to him after a few minutes and forced him to leave the infirmary, "He needs time to rest. I'll call you if there's any news."

Ronon grunted and slowly walked towards the door. He would find a way to sneak back later so that he could continue to offer his silent support to McKay while he recovered.

* * *

A/N – Ronon's a hoot! Hmm, how about Teyla…


	30. Field Trip

Disclaimer – Whatever!

Set before 'Brain Storm.' Written for the McKellerites on the GateWorld Forum (but don't let that put you off!)

EDIT - just to reiterate the fact that I'm not a Doctor and have no medical training or knowledge (other than from Wikipedia). Sorry! It's just for fun ;)

**Field Trip**

Sheppard caught Rodney loading some cases into the back of a Jumper in the bay. John was only going to check up to make sure all the Jumpers were correctly supplied, just in case there was an emergency. He was surprised to find the scientist in his off-world gear.

He stepped over to the open hatch and watched Rodney for a moment as he struggled with a particularly large case. There were a few more on a trolley in the Bay, waiting to be loaded.

Sheppard grabbed a couple of small ones and passed them over to him.

"Thanks," he said as he took them and stacked them on the floor with the others. He answered Sheppard's unspoken question, "I'm going to the main land."

"What? Why? I thought it was your day off?" Sheppard asked suspiciously with his eyes narrowed.

"It is, but Dr Keller said she needed some plant samples to study and I volunteered."

Sheppard said incredulously, "Really? You're using your free time to pick flowers?"

Rodney cleared his throat indignantly and waggled his finger aggressively at Sheppard, "No I'm not. This is an important mission. Who knows what cures we could find in the plants we collect."

Sheppard said slowly, "O…kay."

"It's her first trip in a Jumper and the Daedalus won't be here for weeks to beam anyone over.

Sheppard raised an eyebrow, "Her first time? Not sure if you're the best person for the job if you're trying to reassure her about flying.

Rodney folded his arms across his chest and raised his chin, "What's that supposed to mean exactly?"

"Well, you know, just saying," Sheppard said evasively with a sly smile.

Rodney was not going to let him get away with it so easily. "I'll have you know Colonel, I'm a hell of a lot better than I used to be. It's not like you've never crashed a Jumper before anyway so you're a fine one to talk. I'm sure I'll bring her back in one piece."

Sheppard chuckled, "I know you will."

Rodney sighed heavily as Sheppard walked away. He continued stacking the sample cases into the rear compartment.

* * *

Jennifer stood in the hatchway to the Jumper. Rodney was inside watching her indecision.

She said nervously from the threshold, "Is this thing safe? Shouldn't it have wings or something?"

Rodney smiled at her, "It's fine. We've been using them for years. Also if anything goes wrong…" He reached up and put a hand on his chest, "I'm the best man for the job to fix the problem."

Jennifer's face fell into worry and Rodney shifted his weight uncomfortably. He quickly reassured her, "Not that anything is going to go wrong!"

She pursed her lips and gave him a long-suffering look. She rolled her eyes before walking into the rear compartment. She put a couple of large cases down on the floor next to the others Rodney had loaded earlier.

McKay turned and sat in the pilot's seat as Jennifer moved up and sat next to him. She dug around under the chair with her hands and then frowned. "Aren't there any seatbelts? What if we stop suddenly?"

Rodney gave her a smug smile and pointed up at the ceiling to indicate the whole Jumper, while his other hand tapped the controls. "Inertial dampeners. You won't feel a thing."

Jennifer nodded, but still had a look of shock on her face. She held onto the seat with her hands as Rodney brought the systems online.

He turned to her and spun himself around to look in the rear compartment while his hands stopped typing at the controls and stayed poised and ready. "Have you got everything?"

Jennifer turned to look at him, "Yes, I think so. You put everything I told you to in the back?"

Rodney smiled at her, "Of course. Well hold onto your seat and let's go."

She nodded as he flew the Jumper up and out of the bay. The Jumper continued to climb until the clear blue sky above them darkened and stars became visible against the black.

Jennifer narrowed her eyes, "Do we really need to be this high up?"

Rodney grinned, "Just thought I'd show you the view. It's also safer than being close to the water."

Jennifer sighed, "Oh, okay." She leant forwards as Rodney levelled the Jumper off and gave them a view of the planet below. She peered out of the window and smiled, "It's very pretty. I should've brought a camera."

Rodney waved his hand to motion to rear compartment, "Well actually…"

"You didn't!"

"Standard equipment," Rodney said a little too quickly.

Jennifer shook her head, "I was just kidding anyway. But it is nice."

They both sat in silence for a few minutes as the Jumper imperceptibly made its way over the ocean towards the mainland.

Rodney asked, "So how come we're not taking any botanists?"

"I've got some specialist equipment to analyse the samples straight away. The botanists have already collected some plants from the mainland. There's a particular pollen I'm interested in, but I need a lot more fresh samples."

"Uh… okay," Rodney said as he brought up the HUD and zoomed out so that they could both see the destination marker he had programmed into the navigation system.

They were quite close so Rodney angled the Jumper down and towards the edge of the mainland now visible on the planet below. He said quite untactfully, "You'd better hold on. This is always tough, orbital re-entry's a hell of a ride."

Jennifer's eyes widened and he turned to look at her with a broad teasing grin on his face. She sighed and relaxed, "Gee thanks for that Rodney."

* * *

Rodney landed the Jumper on a flat portion of a wide expanse of sand dunes close to the ocean. A short distance away was a white sandy beach. They could see long grass and flowers swaying in the breeze out of the window.

Rodney's eyes widened as he studied the HUD. "It's 35 degrees! We're going to roast!"

Jennifer smiled, "Looks like a good holiday spot to me. You know, sand, sea and…"

Rodney turned to look at her with his mouth open in surprise, but she carried on before he could butt in, "…and sky!"

He quickly shut his mouth, but not before a mischievous smirk played across his face. He straightened his expression and asked, "So what are we looking for?"

Rodney followed Jennifer as she got up and grabbed a tablet from the rear compartment. She turned it to show him a picture of a large yellow flower.

Rodney frowned, "Looks like an overgrown buttercup to me."

Jennifer sighed, "Maybe, but it's ten times the size."

Rodney's eyebrows shot up, "Really?" He said incredulously.

Jennifer pointed out the cases they would need and Rodney helped her carry them outside. The sun beat down on them and Rodney shrugged his tac vest up uncomfortably in the heat.

They walked for about ten minutes and by then Rodney was sweating profusely and sniffing. He shook his feet to try and get the sand off and treaded carefully to avoid getting the grit inside his boots.

"Ugh," Rodney said as he lifted up his hand to wipe his forehead and nearly clouted Jennifer over the back of the head with a case as he kept hold of it. "I've got sand in between my toes. I think I'm getting heatstroke." He sniffed again even louder than before.

Jennifer glanced back at him from where she was leading the way. She rolled her eyes in exasperation and turned back to the front. She sounded a little bit annoyed when she spoke, "You know I was going to ask Colonel Sheppard to come."

Rodney grimaced, but did not say anything. He walked up to be next to Jennifer as they both fought their way through the long grass parallel to the beach. Calm waves lapped up the edge of the sand with a quiet and calming rhythmic sigh.

Rodney tilted his head back so that the sun was directly on his face and closed his eyes slowly before looking back down. "I think my skin is burnt, does it look burnt to you?" He sounded panicked at the end and suddenly sneezed.

"We've only been here for a few minutes, Rodney. I thought you of all people could use a break from work, so I asked _you_."

"But you didn't actually _ask_ me," he said indignantly.

"No, not directly. But I hinted and you volunteered."

Rodney smiled grimly and said, "Oh, don't get me wrong. I just didn't realise it would be so hot or…" he sneezed again and took a moment to recover, "…or that I'd get sandpaper in my socks."

Jennifer shook her head in exasperation and said, "Just keep an eye out for the flower. Are you alright anyway? You keep sneezing."

Rodney sniffed again and then had to breathe through his mouth. "I don't think so. I think I've got an allergy to something here." He paused and wiped his forehead again. "Oh great, wonderful," he said nasally, "This lovely little field trip just got even worse! My toes, the heat and now I can't breathe through my nose!"

Jennifer ignored his complaining and stopped to put her cases down. She pointed a short distance away from the beach at a patch of bright yellow in the grass a short distance inland. "I think I should go and gather a few of them and then get back to Atlantis if you're not feeling very well."

Rodney shrugged, "Okay."

They both walked over and Jennifer carefully cut some of the flowers and put them in the cases Rodney opened for her. She did not use her equipment as she decided that speed was more important.

Suddenly Rodney dropped the case and held both of his hands over his face. Jennifer's back was turned as she crouched down next to an large flower. She jumped when Rodney let loose a particularly loud and painful sounding sneeze behind her. He spluttered at the end and groaned.

She quickly stood up and went over to him. Rodney's eyes were closed and he had both hands on either side of his nose. He mumbled, "That was so violent I think I just broke my nose."

Jennifer grasped his wrists and gently pried his hands away from his face. He opened his watering and bloodshot eyes to look at her. He swayed a little and winced as he sniffed again.

Jennifer said, "Your face is very red." She let go of his wrists and reached up to feel his glands. Rodney took the opportunity to rub his eyes with his hands, but it only made him cringe and close them again.

"Oh, great! Sunburn. What did I tell you earlier? My skin is very fair, even just a few minutes and…" He trailed off as he started coughing. Eventually he recovered enough to open his eyes again.

Jennifer put one hand on his back and asked, "Are you having difficulty breathing?"

"A little," he mumbled.

Jennifer suddenly changed mode, "Right. That's it. We're going back _now_."

"What about your samples?"

"I've got enough for now, but I don't want you passing out on me."

Rodney picked up the cases he had brought and Jennifer grabbed the others.

* * *

The breeze blew in their faces gently as Jennifer and Rodney made their way back to the Jumper. Rodney's slight wheezing breaths eased up fairly quickly and he stopped sneezing as they got closer to the craft.

When they stepped into the rear compartment and sealed the hatch, he let out a sigh of relief and patted his cheeks. He turned to Jennifer, "Do I look burnt?"

She smiled at him, "I don't think so."

He grimaced and went to sit in the pilot's chair. Jennifer frowned in concern as she sat down next to him and leant forwards in her seat to study his face. "Are you sure you're up to this Rodney? I could call Sheppard to come and pick us up, he could bring someone to retrieve this Jumper."

Rodney shook his head, "I feel alright now, well apart from the feet. Hang on a moment…" He powered up the systems and dialled up the air conditioning until cool air was flowing around the Jumper.

He sighed, rubbed his nose and closed his eyes as he leant back in the seat, "Now _that's_ better!"

Jennifer gave him an incredulous look and turned to look out of the window. Rodney opened his eyes and glanced across at her with a grin.

* * *

Rodney had just about got the craft out of the atmosphere when he started to wheeze again. Jennifer's eyes opened wide in shock when she turned to look at him in his seat and his face had gone deep red. He let go of the controls and fell out of his seat, holding his throat as he struggled to breathe.

Jennifer knelt down next to him and quickly unzipped his tac vest. It had no effect and he closed his eyes and screwed his face up as his breathing slowed and became shallower.

The Jumper suddenly realised that it's pilot had given up, so it took matters into its own hands. Jennifer lurched to one side as the inertial dampeners fluctuated. She peered up out of the window and saw the planet underneath them swirling round through the glass as the craft nose-dived back down towards the sea.

Her eyes widened and she turned back to Rodney. She riffled through the pockets on his tac vest and pulled out the epi-pen he always carried with him. She quickly jabbed it into his thigh and put a hand on his forehead. "Come on Rodney. I can't fly this thing and I don't think even Sheppard would make it to us in time."

She smiled when Rodney's chest hitched as he started breathing again. He blinked slowly up at her. "W-what happened?"

"Your allergy decided to reassert itself." She gently squeezed his shoulder. "I need you to fly us back to Atlantis as fast as possible. Uh… preferably before we crash."

Rodney's eyes widened and he pushed himself off the floor. With Jennifer's help he sat back in the pilot's chair and swooped the Jumper back up into the sky from its dive.

He screwed his eyes tightly closed and muttered, "Not much further." He then looked across at Jennifer in panic, "I think I'm going to have a heart attack."

She returned his gaze in sadness, "Don't worry about it; just concentrate on breathing and getting us back in one piece."

He blinked and turned back to the window, "Okay, I can do this."

The Jumper continued to glide along rapidly. Rodney no longer trying to get it into orbit, he just flew it as level as he could manage, although it did weave and twitch as his nerves became more frayed.

Jennifer radioed ahead for a medical team in hazmat gear to meet and quarantine them when they arrived. She reeled off a long list of the drugs she required to help Rodney and made him grimace.

As the city came into view through the window, Rodney turned to her and gasped, "Not… again… I… can't… breathe."

His hands shook making it difficult to keep hold of the controls. Jennifer reached across and rubbed his back as he hunched forwards.

He furrowed his brow and let go of the controls with one hand to place it over his chest. His breath caught and he gritted his teeth as he inhaled in a rattling wheeze.

"Just a few more seconds, Rodney." Jennifer said as she put her hand over his on his chest. She pulled his hand away and held it tightly as Rodney continued to fly the Jumper up towards the tower.

He lowered it into the Jumper Bay and dropped it down in an unceremonious landing. He then closed his eyes and stopped breathing again. He would have fallen out of his chair again if it had not been for Jennifer gently guiding him down onto the deck.

The rear hatch opened and the medical team came swarming in in orange suits. They injected Rodney again and lifted him up onto a gurney. Jennifer was able to walk and went with them back to the quarantine room to help with Rodney.

* * *

"You're my '_special case_,'" Jennifer said with a smirk as she carefully checked the cocktail of drugs being pumped into Rodney to counteract his anaphylactic shock.

He frowned and smiled at her at the same time, "Well, that makes me feel _so_ much better."

She laughed and patted his shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll keep the flowers away from you. You must've still had some pollen on your hands and clothes that you inhaled."

Rodney grimaced, "Well I'll add it to the list of my allergies. Lemons and giant buttercups." He then turned serious, "Good thing you were there with me. Or else I don't think I'd be here at all." He looked away and closed his eyes.

Jennifer frowned in sadness, "The rest of your team would've realised. They know the symptoms, you don't ever have to worry."

Rodney turned his face to look at her again and smiled, "So how did you like your first flight?"

Jennifer grinned, "Well, it was certainly different…"

* * *

A/N - There you go - hope you liked it!


	31. Challenging Fate

Disclaimer – The usual

**Challenging Fate**

"What is it?" Rodney asked as he walked up the stairs in the Gate Room before he was even fully into the control room.

Zelenka peered over the top of the laptop and promptly stood aside as Rodney came over to look at the screen. "See for yourself."

McKay sighed and sat down. He tapped away for a moment and then looked up frowning. "But that's a Puddle Jumper transponder."

Zelenka pushed up his glasses and shrugged. "I know. That is why I called you."

Rodney's frown deepened as his colleague confirmed his suspicions. McKay said, "All of the Jumpers from Atlantis are present and accounted for." He turned around and looked up at Radek, "Unless there's something you're not telling me?"

He shook his head, "No, you are correct."

Rodney smiled, "Well that means we may have found a Jumper to salvage."

Zelenka said, "These readings were only taken a couple of hours ago by a MALP. It is a space gate. There is also an unusual energy reading from planet."

Rodney's grin broadened in enthusiasm, "Great, two in one." He leapt up and trotted away to begin assembling his gear.

* * *

Sheppard guided the Jumper through the gate and out over the planet far below. He glanced across at Rodney and could not help the smile which spread across his own face as he saw the delight in the scientist's features.

He brought up the HUD and pointed at the transponder signal. "So which one first."

Rodney's face crumpled a little and he started to frown at his tablet. "Hmm, well I can't seem to localise the source of the energy reading."

"The mystery Jumper it is then."

Rodney nodded, looked up to narrow his eyes at the HUD, "The sensors are having trouble breaking through the interference caused by the energy reading. I suppose if we _want_ to fly right into a trap we're going about it the right way."

Sheppard grinned and asked, "Where's your sense of adventure McKay?"

"Uh, not crashed on a planet and being surrounded by cannibal natives we never saw coming, that's for sure."

Sheppard rolled his eyes and tilted the Jumper down towards the planet. He turned back to look at Rodney and saw his mouth was angled down in a grimace. "Hey, keep an eye on the sensors and let me know if anything's up. I'll pull us out of there at the first sign of trouble."

Rodney closed his mouth and set his lips in a thin line as he tapped away on his computer.

A few minutes later and without incident, Sheppard brought the Jumper into land half a mile away from the transponder reading.

Rodney glanced out of the windscreen and let out a deep sigh. "We could've at least waited until it was light."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows back at the man, "Who was it who was so excited about this mission they practically had to drag me away from my afternoon schedule to come with them."

Rodney's face fell in defeat, "Oh yeah, good point. The MALP sensors were not powerful enough to localise the source of the transponder, so we wouldn't have known anyway."

Sheppard got up and clipped a P90 to his tac vest. Rodney did the same and they each took an extra torch to supplement to small P90 lights.

They walked through the darkened world around them and tree branches loomed out of the shadows as their lights played across them. To their right was a cliff and the lights could not penetrate the darkness enough to see the top.

Rodney led the way and Sheppard covered them both. He brought out his life signs detector and frowned down at the readings. The screen was awash with flashes of static and phantom readings. He sighed as he slipped the scanner into his tac vest and stepped up closer to Rodney's back as he retreated into the dark in front of them.

* * *

Fifteen long and tense minutes later Sheppard and McKay came across a deep trench gouged through the woodland. Smashed branches and churned up soil littered the sides of the furrow.

Both men shared a glance and then raised their P90s ready for what was ahead.

A heavy raindrop landed on Rodney's nose and he reached up to brush it away, "Well that just about tops it. Not only is it so dark I can hardly see my own feet, but rain too, ugh." He frowned and lifted his head back to give the invisible sky an angry look.

Sheppard muttered, "Quiet McKay."

The rain increased in intensity until it was pouring down on anything unlucky enough to be under the deluge. Water steadily streamed down Rodney's face and dripped from his chin, he shivered as it started to soak through his clothes.

Sheppard maintained a neutral expression and ignored the rain as he continued to creep stealthily ahead of the annoyed scientist towards the end of the trench. Every drop of falling water reflected the light and shone back at them both brightly through the gloom.

As they proceeded, Rodney's torch found the end of the trench and settled on a Jumper's rear hatch. He frowned and pulled out his hand held scanner.

Sheppard continued to sweep his P90 around them both and remained on constant alert for anything which may try to attack them.

Rodney let out a frustrated sigh and puffed air out of his mouth to get rid of the water that had just poured in. He blinked the rain out of his saturated eyes and tilted his head down to avoid the assault.

Sheppard spoke, without looking at him, "Anything?"

"No, I can only read the transponder on the scanner. There are no life signs, at least none that I can see. The energy reading is all around us and is still blocking the scanner."

Sheppard nodded and started to walk slowly towards the hatch. Rodney grabbed his arm and said quietly, "I don't know about this. Something feels wrong. Very, _very_ wrong."

Sheppard locked his eyes with the wide fearful ones staring back at him for moment. Rodney soon blinked and screwed them tightly closed as water ran off his eyelashes into them.

"I thought you said you always felt like that on any mission?"

Rodney scowled at Sheppard's back as he got closer to the abandoned Jumper. He gripped his gun more tightly and muttered, "Fine then. You run right in!"

Sheppard turned his head slightly, but soon returned to face forwards. He walked right up to the rear hatch and pulled a control out of his tac vest on the off chance it would work. To his astonishment, the hatch silently opened when he pressed the control.

Rodney swung his P90 up in shock to aim at the suddenly accessible craft.

"Give a man some warning!" He shouted at Sheppard.

Both men looked into the Jumper and noticed the dim emergency lights were on, but there was no-one on board. Smashed crates and glass littered the interior and equipment was scattered all over the deck.

Rodney frowned, "That's strange."

Sheppard tracked his P90 all around the rear compartment and muttered, "You're telling me. How can it still have power?"

Rodney stepped up alongside Sheppard and shook water off his hand to retrieve his scanner. He tapped the screen a few times and then glanced back up to the stricken Jumper. "I don't know," he admitted. "There's no way it could have stayed operational for ten thousand years. If it crashed recently though, then that must mean there are still Ancient's in this galaxy!"

His expression rose at the end and he grinned at Sheppard. The Colonel did not return the look though and shone his light down at some of the supplies. "Ancient's who have guns and emergency blankets exactly like those we brought with us from Earth?"

Rodney followed his gaze and sighed.

Sheppard suddenly shifted back slightly and sucked in a noisy breath. "Hey, what's that?"

He stepped right inside the rear compartment and out of the pouring rain. Rodney turned around to look out into the gloom surrounding them behind the Jumper, "Uh… I'm not so sure it's a good idea to go inside the ship Colonel."

Sheppard frowned and crouched down next to some of the debris. He reached forwards and picked up a large shard of glass. He angled it towards the lights inside the Jumper and showed it to Rodney.

McKay frowned in confusion and then shrugged as he stepped over the threshold and drew up to Sheppard. Water dripped steadily from both men as they stood in the craft.

"Is that… is that…" Rodney began and his eyes widened in fear.

"Blood? Yes, well at least it looks like it."

The glass looked lethally sharp and one side was tinted dark red.

"How long ago?" Rodney asked, unable to take his eyes of the shard. Sheppard dropped it back onto the ground and crouched down again.

"I don't know." He then ran his hand over the deck and brought it back up to study his fingers. "I'd guess fairly recently." He turned his hand over and showed the panicked scientist his bloodstained fingers.

Rodney turned his head from side to side quickly and furrowed his brow, "We have to get out of here now! As if the whole mystery abandoned Jumper thing wasn't enough for you; now there's blood everywhere! What's going on?"

Sheppard straightened up and wiped his hand on his leg. "Why not plug that tablet of yours into the Jumper's systems and find out?"

Rodney scowled at him, but his face quickly returned to its frightened and slightly lost expression. Sheppard walked into the cockpit and noticed that the windscreen was smashed in several places and rain was coming inside. He shone his light over the control panels and saw some more blood on the co-pilot's side.

He looked up quickly to see that Rodney was pulling some wires down from the ceiling and had not noticed. Sheppard carefully, so as not to give anything away, moved back into the rear compartment and used his body to hide the sight of the blood from Rodney.

He smiled at McKay and said, "Hey, if you can get this thing off the ground, we'll have an extra Jumper. Not such a bad thing to my mind."

Rodney grimaced and plugged some of the wires into the tablet he just pulled off his back. As he waited for it to load up he turned to Sheppard. "A haunted, creepy Jumper? I certainly don't want to be the one who has to fly it back."

Sheppard quickly shook his head, "Don't worry. I don't mind flying it back. You have to get it working though."

Rodney narrowed his eyes and turned to study the tablet. Soon his eyebrows shot up and his hands shook as he keyed at the screen.

Sheppard frowned, "Hey, what's up?"

Rodney's whole body suddenly shivered through a violent and visible tremor and Sheppard grabbed the man's shoulder to steady him. Rodney gasped, "It can't be! That's impossible. We're so screwed!"

Sheppard frowned and Rodney looked up at him, his face shining with the rainwater, which he steadfastly ignored, even as it continued to run into his eyes from his hair. He tilted the screen for Sheppard to see and pointed a dripping finger at a line of numbers.

"You see this here. That's a part of the Jumper's base code. It's a series of digits unique to every ship, a chassis number if you like." He started to become more agitated and shivered again. "It's the same number as the Jumper we flew in on."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows incredulously, "Are you _sure_? It could be a cut and shut."

Rodney raised his chin at the comment and said back to Sheppard, "Of course I'm sure. I checked it three times. But what's worse than that is I also checked the internal chronometer of this Jumper."

He paused for a moment and turned back to the screen. Typing a few more keys the tablet now displayed a different series of data. His eyes widened in realisation as he confirmed his fears. He then dropped his bombshell to the patiently waiting Colonel, "It's set six hours into the future!"

* * *

TBC

A/N – a cut and shut is when ends of two different cars are glued together to make a new one. Hence, two different chassis numbers ;)


	32. Challenging Fate Part II

Thanks for the reviews! And now for the conclusion…

**Challenging Fate Part II**

Sheppard looked at Rodney incredulously, "_Six_ hours?"

"Yes, that's what I said. Unless you need your hearing checked. Also the parrot impression is not so good on you."

Sheppard closed his mouth and then said, "Can you fix it though? It obviously crashed, so maybe you could pull up the sensor logs and find out what happened."

Rodney nodded and gritted his teeth to try and stop himself from shaking in poorly concealed fear. He pushed some debris off the bench and sat down while he worked.

Sheppard stepped past him and stood in the rear hatchway. It was still raining but only gently. He could hear water cascading through the trees and landing in the undergrowth. The patter was only audible between the sighs and screen tapping emanating from the annoyed and confused scientist behind him.

"Well isn't that just brilliant? The only things I can access all relate to fixing the ship. The sensor logs, video feeds, even the systems connected with flying the Jumper are all encoded and locked."

Sheppard swivelled round on the spot and looked across at Rodney who had his eyes closed in frustration. "Can you break through it?"

Rodney opened his eyes and glared back at Sheppard as he spoke, "I've tried, but it's a multi layered adapting algorithm. In fact…" he glanced down at the tablet and typed a few commands, "It's one of mine!"

"You can crack it then?"

"Hmm, no."

"What? Why not?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, I can do a lot of things other people only dream about, that includes inventing encoding systems. And as I'm a lot smarter than most people, the codes tend to lean towards the unbreakable end of the spectrum."

Sheppard rolled his eyes, "So, if this ship is ours and we're going to go back in time somehow then it was still you who entered the code. Just type in what you think of now and that should break it right?"

Rodney tapped a few buttons, and then his frown deepened, "It's not working. I must've known what I was going to do and done something else."

"Of course you knew, because you'd remember everything you're doing now until we get thrown back."

Rodney raised his eyebrows and stopped typing for a moment. He then sighed and carried on. As he worked he spoke, "Yes, Colonel, very astute. It's already happened, but I would've left a message for myself. Wouldn't you? Something along the lines of 'Don't crash the Jumper into the ground at high speed.' Or perhaps, 'Steer clear of the trees when landing.'"

"But we know what the end result is so we don't have to crash now."

Rodney frowned down at the tablet and stopped typing, "It's fate Colonel. If we had known and could've avoided it, we would've."

Sheppard shook his head a little, "Really? But we do know."

"Only because we found the Jumper. It wouldn't be here at all if we had stayed on Atlantis."

"Oh, so the reading the MALP detected… We came in a Jumper to investigate our own ship?"

Rodney nodded, "Yes, glad you're finally catching up Colonel."

Sheppard suddenly smiled, "So now we've got an extra Jumper. Can you fix the engines? We can head back to Atlantis and bring back a team to tow it off the planet until we can crack that code."

Rodney shot him a look that made Sheppard's face fall instantly. The annoyed scientist waved a hand about in the air to illustrate his anger more forcefully. "Again with the whole fate and destiny thing. It's already happened. Get over it."

"So the act of trying to leave the planet throws us back in time? Why don't we just wait another six hours for Atlantis to check up on us and call for another Jumper?"

Rodney pressed his lips together in a thin line as his brain worked. "A good idea in theory, but we have no idea how it may affect our situation. At best we'll get unknowingly stuck in a time loop forever. At worst, the paradox will tear apart the fabric of space-time and destroy the universe.

"Ok, that's out then." Sheppard turned to look out into the gloom, where the rain had now stopped. Large drops of water still fell from leaves and gave the impression that it was still raining under the trees.

"Can you fix the ship?" He asked after a few minutes.

Rodney continued to type and then stood up and rearranged a few crystals in the tray dropped down from the ceiling. He discarded some blackened crystals and swapped a few around. He then sat down heavily on the seat and held his head with his hands as he lay the tablet down on his lap.

"It's done. It was an easy fix."

Sheppard grinned and turned around to thank the scientist. His face suddenly fell when he noticed Rodney bowed over and not as jubilant as he should have been. He walked over and sat down next to the dejected scientist. "What's wrong?"

Rodney lowered one of his hands and turned to look at the Colonel as he spoke. "Why couldn't my future self fix the ship? Unless… unless…" His voice trailed off and he tilted his head down to stare at the deck sadly.

A sheet of paper wedged under the seat caught his eye. He frowned and pulled it out. He unfolded it and his eyes tracked along the words. As he read, his eyes widened and he called out, "Sheppard! What the hell?"

John was startled and grabbed the piece of paper. He read it out loud, "'You're not dead McKay. But you will be if you don't hurry up and fix the damn ship.'" Sheppard brought the paper closer to his eyes and studied it.

Rodney scrubbed his face with his free hand and kept the fingers on his other hand tightly curled around tablet. "Was that you?"

John looked across at him innocently, "No! It is my writing though, but I've never written that."

"At least not yet. Oh!" Rodney sighed sadly, "I'm going to get hurt aren't I? All the blood… it's my blood!" His face fell in sorrow and he hung his head down. "As much as I've been talking about fate and avoidance; I think I'm starting to come around to your way of thinking. I wonder if there's any way we can prevent what's going to happen?"

Sheppard looked up and gazed at the wall opposite. At length he spoke, "So you've fixed the ship?" Rodney nodded and John continued, "And my future self has said you're not dead, but let's not dwell for too long on what's hidden in that statement, because we don't know."

Rodney shook a little and sighed softly. Sheppard reached over, grabbed his damp shoulder and jolted him slightly. "We _don't_ know! I've asked us to hurry up. That means we need to go now."

Rodney blinked slowly and looked up at Sheppard, "And face our fate? Can't we just wait a few more hours?"

Sheppard gave him a stern look, "No. We can't. If you've been hurt I'd be screaming at us now to get the hell out of here so that I could get you back to Atlantis."

To illustrate his resolve, Sheppard got up and walked away towards the rear hatch. "Come on. We need to leave."

Rodney frowned but followed him out of the door.

* * *

Sheppard sat down in the pilot's seat and brought up the HUD. He had just changed out of his damp clothing and Rodney was in the rear compartment wearing a blue jumpsuit and towelling off his hair.

McKay chucked the towel back in the overhead rack and grabbed a blanket. He wrapped it around his shoulders and drew it around himself tightly as he suppressed a shiver. He froze when he noticed Sheppard in the pilot's seat with the HUD online and his hands hovering hesitantly over the controls.

Rodney's eyes widened and he called out, "No, don't do it. We can wait."

Sheppard let his hands drop and spun round in his chair to look into Rodney's wide and fearful eyes. He asked, "Even if it destroys the universe?"

Rodney gave him a wry smile, "We won't exactly _know_ about it will we?"

Sheppard raised his eyebrows and swivelled back to look out of the window. He muttered, "No, I suppose not."

He brought up the HUD again and Rodney walked towards the cockpit. Before he could reach his seat a brilliant white light suddenly enveloped the whole Jumper and its occupants. As abruptly as it had started, the light faded and Sheppard and McKay both glanced out of the window to see what had just happened.

They were several hundred metres above the ground and sunlight shone through the window onto them. The Jumper realised it had no power and its nose pitched down quickly as it gathered speed.

Rodney was thrown backwards with a yelp before he could grab hold of anything. Sheppard was pinned back in his seat and tried to bring the inertial dampeners and engines online.

It was no use and the Jumper crashed into the ground, ploughing up soil and smashing branches in its wake.

As the Jumper came to a halt, Sheppard smacked his head and chest on the control panel and fell unconscious. Rodney was forced forwards and slammed into the broken edges of the windscreen with a loud crack. He smeared blood across the co-pilot's console as he slid down onto the floor. The blood stained glass he had hit smashed further from another impact and shattered inwards, showering the interior of the craft and landing all over the deck.

As the fated ship finally came to rest, nothing stirred inside. Both of its passengers were bleeding and blissfully unaware of the world.

* * *

Sheppard was the first one to wake up. He groaned as he reached up with a shaking hand to hold his head. He winced as he dabbed at his forehead and blinked down at his fingers and saw blood.

Steeling himself, he rolled over and sat up. It was now dark and he could hardly see anything. He clenched his teeth and stretched up to press a few controls on the console above him from where he had landed on the floor.

Dim emergency lighting flooded the cockpit and made him close his tired eyes at the sudden brightness. He crawled over to the other figure lying sprawled on the deck a short distance away on the other side of the cockpit.

He reached down and felt Rodney's neck, sighing in relief when he found a weak and rapid pulse.

McKay's face scrunched up in pain at the touch and he mumbled through bloody lips, "Oh no no no no! Not again!"

Sheppard frowned and grimaced as it pulled his skin, "Hey Rodney, it hasn't happened once yet, at least not for me. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Rodney laughed softly and then started coughing. He closed his eyes more tightly as he gasped for breath. Sheppard reached forwards and rolled him over to try and stop him from choking.

After a few pain filled seconds, Rodney finally stopped. He was shaking violently and Sheppard inspected his friend for damage. John found it difficult to concentrate and focus his eyes through the pounding headache, but he could see that Rodney's jumpsuit was cut in several places and the blue material was darkened with blood all around the frayed sections.

Rodney mumbled, keeping his eyes closed, "I'm so cold."

Sheppard got up unsteadily and weaved his way into the rear compartment. His ribs protested as he reached up to try and retrieve the medical kit from the overhead nets. He sighed and held his chest, but he soon had to lower his arms in defeat.

John reached behind his back with a hiss and unsheathed his knife from his belt. He was able to cut through the netting and let the equipment he did not need fall down and scatter across the floor. When he came across the med kit, he grasped the handle and pulled the case down.

He staggered back into the cockpit and knelt down next to Rodney, who had curled up into a ball on the floor and was shivering.

John gently patted McKay's face and said, "Rodney? Can you hear me? Where does it hurt?"

His reply was a further tightening of the scientist as he hugged his limbs closer and made it almost impossible for Sheppard to find the damage.

Sheppard swayed as he knelt on the floor and his vision darkened momentarily before coming back in full force. "Rodney, you're going to have to help me out here."

Tired and pain filled blue eyes opened and looked at him. Rodney hissed out, "I need my tablet."

Sheppard was confused, "Honestly, I'd have thought you'd want painkillers and bandages rather than a computer."

Rodney shuddered and flinched, "Tablet…first…"

"Um, okay." He glanced around the cockpit and spotted Rodney's computer a short distance away. He crawled over and retrieved it. When he turned back, he was surprised to see that Rodney had pushed himself upright and was leaning back against the DHD, holding his side and grimacing. As Sheppard watched, blood trickled out from under Rodney's hairline and ran down the side of his face.

Sheppard could now see the extent of his friend's injuries more clearly as the dull lighting showed the patches of blood. He crawled back over to Rodney and laid the tablet down on the deck. He reached over and pulled a bandage out of the med kit.

He eyed the scientist critically and said, "Are you going to let me help you McKay? Where are you hurt?"

Rodney's face twitched and he mumbled, "Head, chest… it's hard to breathe lying down. I think there's things sticking in my side and leg as well."

Sheppard closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as a wave of nausea rolled over him and he drew up right next to Rodney and sat down. He picked up the tablet and held it out. "I got your computer."

Rodney opened his eyes and turned his head slowly in Sheppard's direction. When he saw John's face, his eyes widened, "What about you? You're bleeding too."

Sheppard waved him off, "At least I can move. Do what you have to do and I'll patch you up."

John quickly located the shards of glass embedded in Rodney's side and lower leg. He grimaced in horror and dread when he noticed how jagged the glass was and how Rodney's dark red blood ran down from his wounds and dripped from the razor sharp edges.

He carefully wrapped bandages around the pieces of broken windscreen to prevent the glass from moving and causing more damage. McKay shook gently and closed his eyes tightly while Sheppard worked. Every now and then Rodney would narrowly gaze down at the computer and type a few commands into it with trembling and bloody fingers. Sheppard then placed a smaller bandage around Rodney's head.

When John finished, he wrapped a bandage around his own head, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped long before. He rummaged around in the med kit and lifted his hands out holding a packet of pills and a bottle of water.

Rodney frowned at him tiredly and mumbled, "That better be morphine or something that'll render us unconscious again."

Sheppard shook his head and quickly lowered it into his hands to stop the spinning and throbbing that had just flared up. "No, just painkillers. We've both got head injuries, McKay, so no sleeping yet. At least not until Keller's checked us out."

The scientist released a small sigh and a trace of a smile played across his lips for a brief moment. He took the pills Sheppard gave him and washed them down with some of the water. John then did the same and then sat back down on the deck.

After a few minutes, Rodney turned the tablet around and muttered quietly, "Enter a code. I don't care what it is, as long as you remember it."

Sheppard frowned in confusion and then his face softened when he realised, "So you're resigned to fate? Okay then." He tapped on the screen and then looked up. "All done."

Rodney said, "Our past selves should be here in a few minutes if this clock's right. We need to leave and I think I'm going to pass out soon. To get the Jumper off the ground, re-enter the code in the tablet. That is if I fix it again."

"Good thinking," Sheppard said with a grin. "I suppose you knew we wouldn't be able to resist the prospect of another Jumper and this way we can only fix it, but not take it."

Rodney groaned slightly as he tried to move and stand. Sheppard quickly reached down to help him up. He pulled McKay's arm over his shoulders and gritted his teeth as his own ribs compressed under the weight.

They both stumbled into the rear compartment and Sheppard placed Rodney on one of the benches while he gathered up some waterproof gear. He slipped his tac vest back on and zipped it up. He clipped a P90 onto the front of the vest and slipped an extra torch into one of the pockets. He then turned to Rodney and found the scientist tilting forward dangerously on the seat.

As he watched, Rodney lost his battle with gravity and pitched forwards with more conviction. Sheppard moved quickly and managed to plant a hand in the centre of McKay's chest to slow down his impact on the deck.

Rodney cried out and gasped as he landed. He then started coughing painfully and spat blood out onto the deck. Sheppard raised his eyebrows as he recalled where he had found the pool of blood earlier. He put a hand on Rodney's back until the coughing and shaking subsided. He then wrapped a blanket around McKay's shoulders.

Suddenly Sheppard remembered and quickly pulled some paper out of his tac vest and scribbled a note. He glanced around the rear compartment and closed his eyes, trying to remember. After a few seconds his eyes snapped open and he slid the note under one of the seats, making sure that one edge was still visible to the wandering eyes of a certain scientist.

Sheppard helped the semi-conscious McKay up once again and ignored his own pains to get them both out of the stricken craft so that their past selves could fix the damage.

John only managed to get them about a hundred metres away before he propped Rodney up against a tree and sat him down. He then let himself slide down onto the ground next to his injured friend. Rodney's face contorted in pain for a moment but he managed to stay upright.

Sheppard sighed softly and rigged up a makeshift shelter for them from the inevitable rain that was about to come. He grabbed his scanner and watched the approaching Jumper as it landed a short distance away. He leant back further against the tree as soft splashes of water hit the material over them.

He quietly waited for events to repeat themselves and hoped it would be enough to save Rodney.

* * *

No white flash came this time. Sheppard only knew it was clear for them to get back to the Jumper by the Jumper sized blip which abruptly vanished from the scanner he was staring at.

He reached over and squeezed Rodney's arm gently. He received a grunt in reply and Rodney turned to look at him. "Have I fixed the Jumper yet?"

Sheppard smiled, "I hope so. Unless you were lying earlier?"

"No, it's good to go. Just type in your code."

Sheppard hauled him upright and they squelched through the soggy undergrowth back to their Jumper.

John carefully sat Rodney on the floor in the Jumper's cockpit and checked his bandages. Blood was steadily soaking through them, so he carefully tied some more around the thick glass still protruding from the man's leg and side.

Rodney winced but did not cry out as Sheppard helped him.

John gripped McKay's shoulder and said, "Hang in there and I'll get us out of this time twisted torment."

Rodney's lips twitched up into a half smile and he slurred, "Sssounds good."

John patted his shoulder gently and grabbed the tablet. He entered his code and the systems all came online like he had just flipped a switch. He held his sore head with one hand and marvelled that Rodney had still been able to work even when badly hurt.

Sheppard raised the shields to protect them from the vacuum through the smashed glass and flew the Jumper up to the space gate and back to Atlantis.

* * *

Sheppard sat next to Rodney in the infirmary and felt gingerly along the row of stitches on his head. He had insisted on marking the gate address in the database as, 'Dangerous time disturbance,' much to Dr Zelenka's consternation. When briefed on what had happened the Czech scientist had been eager to take a science team back to investigate. Sheppard had managed to discourage him fairly easily as he told him what had happened to Rodney.

Sheppard frowned and looked at the wall on the other side of the room. He sucked in a breath and winced.

A tired, but mildly irritated voice came from in front of him, "You know, you should probably still be in one of the beds and not pretending you're fine as usual."

Sheppard smiled down as Rodney looked back at him sleepily. "But I _am_ fine."

Rodney raised his eyebrows incredulously, so Sheppard continued, "Better than you anyway."

"I know. It feels like my chest's on fire and something's constantly jabbing me in the side and twisting." His breath hitched as he grimaced and trembled slightly.

Sheppard frowned at him in concern, "Do you want me to get Dr Keller?"

Rodney glared back at him defiantly and then his face slackened, "No, it's okay. I think I'm about to pass out again anyway and there's nothing more numbing than agony induced unconsciousness."

Sheppard quickly waved Jennifer over. Rodney was being his usual stubborn and sarcastic self and John was not going to have any of it, especially when his friend was quite clearly in a lot of pain.

He leant forwards as Keller came over and spoke quietly to Rodney, "How come when we skipped back in time we ended up in a different location?"

Rodney gritted his teeth and opened his eyes to look at Sheppard's questioning gaze. He thought for a moment and said, "The planet must've moved, we stayed in the same place. Also, because we'd already been through it once, the residual effects of the time shift must've prevented us from going back a second time."

Keller smiled down at him and injected something into Rodney's IV line before walking away.

Rodney closed his eyes again and his face relaxed as the drugs kicked in and numbed the pain. He mumbled, "Must only affect technology," before he fell asleep.

Sheppard held his head for a moment as he leant back in his chair to continue the vigil. He was sure that Rodney would have a field day with the data stored in the Jumper's sensor log when he woke up. Zelenka had already had a quick look, but had refused to work on it until Rodney was with him to help.

Sheppard picked up his book and started to read as slow and rhythmic breathing emanated from Rodney in the bed in front of him.

* * *

A/N – Time travel stuff and paradoxes really get me. Thanks for reading!


	33. Wraith Tears

Now for the Teyla story I hinted at a while ago…

Set after/possible spoilers for 'The Seed.' Oh, and I'm not a Doctor ;)

**Wraith Tears**

**_Present…_**

The pointed nose of the Wraith dart punched through the ceiling of the Jumper at an astonishing and metal piercing speed. The noise created by the impact was almost so loud as to be painful to the two occupants in the rear compartment.

Rodney pushed Teyla out of the way just in time, but for his bravery the tip of the encroaching dart caught him in the chest and forced him backwards. He screamed as he was pinned to the rear hatch and the nose of the Wraith ship drove right through him.

The Jumper was then tossed and thrown as the momentum of the dart forced it along the ground and then it rolled onto its side. After several seconds the fused ships stopped moving and rocked slightly as they came to rest at an angle. Dust and smoke hung in the air.

Gravity made Rodney slide unconsciously down the dart's nose, leaving a red stain along the metal and he came to rest against the rear hatch. Blood welled up all around the spike still stuck through his chest and soaked his shirt, creating a dark, wide line and then dripping down onto the deck.

Teyla lay unconscious on the ground a short distance away and a livid bruise spread out across her face.

-----------------

_**A little while earlier…**_

Teyla watched Rodney's presentation keeping her face neutral as she listened intently to his plan with the others gathered in the Briefing Room.

"One of the off-world recon teams found this complex on M3L-734," He stood in front of a large screen with a controller in his hand. He pressed a button and a schematic appeared.

Teyla noted how his hands waved about in excitement as he pointed out various locations on the screen. There was a series of large rings displayed. Each ring had a number of small objects attached all around the outer edge. The images reminded Teyla of beaded necklaces she used to make and she frowned slightly in confusion.

Teyla had long ago found that to deal with McKay required a huge amount of patience and a thick skin. She also had the natural ability to see a person as they truly were; a necessary and vital skill required to trade with other worlds and lead her people.

She had found a way to filter out the sarcasm and rudeness which frequently emanated from the abrasive and often abusive scientist in order to see under the surface. She also knew that Rodney's often ill thought out words were only his way of hiding and dealing with his own fears and vulnerability.

In truth though, Teyla found his openness and honesty refreshing and trusted that he would always tell them if something was wrong or bothering him. He had become a true friend to her. She felt safe knowing that if any technology went wrong he would be able to fix it.

The display zoomed in and Rodney indicated the central area of one of the rings. "They're Wraith facilities and each marker around the ring indicates where the Wraith are 'growing' darts."

Teyla frowned again and asked, "I did not believe darts were grown in this manner. I would have thought each Hive would produce its own darts."

Rodney held up a finger and said, "The truth is we don't really know how the darts are made. Maybe they _can_ create them on Hive ships, or perhaps they just need some more."

Ronon looked around the table and then at McKay, "So how do we destroy them?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, "You're one step ahead of me there." The screen dissolved into a more detailed schematic. He pointed to the base of the structure, where it was fused to the ground. "We plant explosives here, which should create a sufficient detonation to destroy each building and the darts being grown.

"This planet where they've set up their little operation is rich in a mineral they can use to make their darts. They may even be making Hive ships here, but the recon team did not detect anything."

Sheppard sat up a little in his chair and leant forwards, "So even if we destroy them there's no guarantee the Wraith won't come back?"

Rodney sighed and looked away indignantly, "No, but we would strike a blow to whichever Hive is using this planet."

Woolsey set his lips in a thin line and asked, "How can the destruction of these facilities possibly benefit us? Wouldn't our resources be more useful in eliminating Hive ships directly, rather than just their much smaller counterparts?"

Rodney huffed again angrily and glanced across at Teyla. His eyes seemed to be asking her to back him up. She opened her mouth while her mind furiously worked and then spoke up, "I believe that anything we can do to weaken the Wraith is a worthy cause." She spoke to Woolsey and then glanced back at Rodney, "The Gate is in orbit?" He nodded.

Teyla smiled at him and continued, "The Wraith could use this planet to launch attacks on many worlds. They would not need a Hive ship to cull a population if they can create as many darts as shown by these pictures."

Rodney looked smugly around the room and said, "We can also gather valuable intel if I can gain access to a terminal inside one of these hubs."

Ronon frowned, "What about the Daedalus? Shouldn't we wait for them and then blast the whole place from orbit?"

Sheppard smirked at him; "Does 'covert ops' mean nothing to you? There may be Hive ships in orbit."

Rodney cut in, "There weren't any when the recon team did a scout of the planet."

Sheppard glared at him and carried on, "There _could_ be Hive ships in orbit. Also, we won't be able to gather any data if we just sit on our asses and press a few buttons to make the nice dart factories go away."

Teyla smiled and nodded in agreement and then turned to look at Woolsey with the others while they waited for his decision.

He clasped his hands on the table and carefully said, "Alright, you have a go. But on the condition that there is a viable mission plan on my desk within the hour.

Rodney beamed back at him and turned off the screen. He then grabbed his tablet and left the room whistling happily to himself.

Teyla joined Sheppard and Ronon as they followed the upbeat scientist out of the room in order to discuss tactics together.

---------

_**Present…**_

"_Sheppard to McKay and Teyla. Come in please."_

Teyla heard the voice before she was able to open her eyes. She groaned and coughed as she woke up. She opened her eyes and squinted through the smoke at the devastated Jumper.

She reached up and tapped her radio and croaked, "This is Teyla. Go ahead John."

_"Phew, are we glad to hear your voice! We're at the rendezvous point near the Gate and didn't know what was keeping you. Have you completed your mission?"_

Teyla coughed again and held onto her head as her vision blurred. "Yes, but then something happened and I was knocked out."

There was silence for a moment, _"How's McKay?"_

Teyla cursed herself for not calling out to Rodney sooner and forced herself to stand. She found it difficult to orientate herself as the Jumper was at a strange angle. She held onto the wall nearest to her and narrowed her eyes in the smoky gloom to try and remember what had happened.

She recalled Rodney's expression and how wide his eyes had been when he turned around after closing the rear hatch. Teyla had frowned and he had cried, "Look out!" Before he had grabbed her shoulders and thrown her to one side.

A sudden impact had then presumably rendered her unconscious for she could not remember the next events.

Teyla grabbed a torch out of her tac vest and switched it on. The beam shone through the particles in the air and settled on a large, dark purple intrusion into the rear compartment. She frowned and walked over to it. As she got closer, she suddenly recognised it as being the nose of a Wraith dart.

"Rodney, can you hear me?" Her voice was muffled to her ears and seemed quieter than usual in the cramped condition of the Jumper caused by the dart.

She tapped her radio again and said calmly, "Colonel, we require immediate assistance. A dart had crashed into the Jumper and damaged the hull. I believe it is beyond repair."

"_And McKay?"_

"I am looking, standby. Oh!" She gasped when she crawled under the dart and found him held up by the sharp nose of the Wraith ship pinning him to the rear hatch. His head was slumped forwards and his arms hung limply by his sides.

"_Teyla, what is it?"_

She put a hand over her mouth as she slowly and carefully made her way over to stand next to Rodney. She reached across and felt his neck for a pulse. "He is still alive, but gravely hurt. I am unsure what to do, the dart has impaled him against the rear hatch." She managed to keep her voice steady despite the seriousness of Rodney's injuries.

There was a rapid intake of breath audible over the radio channel and then Sheppard spoke. _"Stay where you are, we're coming back down to assist. Remember your medical training; don't move him. We'll be there in a few minutes."_

"Acknowledged and please hurry."

Teyla furrowed her brow as she noticed the blood still steadily pooling on the floor underneath Rodney.

She backed up and turned to retrieve the med kit in the rear compartment. She hastily unzipped it and ignored her own pounding headache while she grabbed some bandages and the oxygen mask and made her way over to Rodney's side.

She placed the oxygen mask over his face and secured it behind his head. She then gathered up the bandages and did the best job she could to wrap them as close to Rodney's chest around the spike imbedded in him.

He was pressed right up to the rear hatch, which made it impossible to do anything for his back. As she worked, a trickle of blood came from the corner of Rodney's slack mouth and Teyla lifted away the mask to prevent him from choking. It dripped down onto the nose of the dart and Teyla gently adjusted the mask back onto his face.

Teyla watched the progress of the blood on the nose of the dart in shock as the thick red liquid ran down the side of the metal and dripped onto the deck. She then returned to tying off the bandages and adding as many as she could to try in desperation to stop the bleeding.

------------------

_**Earlier…**_

Rodney smiled nervously across the Jumper cockpit at Teyla next to him. She could not help returning the expression and then pursed her lips as he turned back to look out of the window at the planet below them.

Rodney said, "You know, I never had any intention to be one of the pilots for this mission. I can barely keep these things going in a straight line and certainly wouldn't be any good in a fire fight if it comes to that."

Teyla looked over at him and noticed how tense his whole body was as he gripped the controls tightly and grimaced in concentration. "You are doing an excellent job, Rodney. After all, I cannot fly the Puddle Jumpers and we do need you on this mission."

Rodney sighed and mumbled, "Yes, I know. Seven Jumpers. Five fly to the planet, take one facility each, two stay next to the Gate and head off any escaping darts."

Teyla nodded in agreement as Rodney recited the mission plan back to her. He turned the nose of the cloaked Jumper down towards the planet and swiftly guided it through the upper atmosphere.

Teyla was actually surprised at how good his flying really was. For all of Rodney's comments about his lack of flying prowess, he was a lot better than he gave himself credit for. She did not speak though to inform him of her observation, as he did not need any further distractions. She also knew that he would concentrate more on the task if he believed he still had something to prove.

Teyla just hoped he did not damage his hands or give himself a heart attack over the stress he was putting himself through. She glanced over at him again and her face softened as she saw how his eyes were narrowed at the display and his fingers were white as they gripped the controls ever more tightly.

"Try to relax a little, Rodney. I do not wish to have to pry you away from the controls when we reach our destination."

Rodney grimaced and leant back in his chair as some of his muscles loosened. "I didn't even notice."

Teyla smiled across at him and he glanced back at her with a lopsided grin.

They then returned their gaze to the rapidly approaching planet. Rodney brought up the HUD and they watched the progress of the other cloaked Jumpers flying in formation with them as they proceeded towards their targets.

-----------------

_**Present…**_

Rodney's face twitched as Teyla wrapped another bandage around the already darkened one next to his chest. He moaned and tried to move.

Teyla carefully held onto him to stop him from shifting, but she found it difficult to choose the best location to grip him without damaging him further. She took hold of his shoulder on the side she had full access to and spoke softly to him.

"Try not to move Rodney. You have been badly hurt."

He gasped and his head moved up. His eyes were tightly closed and he sucked in noisy breaths through the oxygen mask. His legs scrambled slightly under him as he tried to plant his feet on the deck.

Teyla quickly cried to him, "No, Rodney! You have been pinned to the wall. Do not try to stand or move at all or the spike could shift!"

He shivered as she watched and Teyla could do nothing to stop his legs from moving other than look on helplessly. Against her advice he finally managed to get his feet under himself on the deck with his knees bent and tried to take some of his weight off the spike rammed through his ribcage. The motion made him cry out and flinch violently.

Teyla furrowed her brow and called to him, "Wait, do not move again. I have an idea."

Rodney's head was lolling forwards again and his breath was coming in shallow pants. He reached up with shaking hands and held onto the nose of the dart just in front of him. Without opening his eyes he gently moved his fingers down the metal until he reached his chest. He then furrowed his brow and mumbled a quiet and dejected, "Oh!"

Teyla shone her torch around the Jumper. Now that Rodney was partially awake it was only natural that he would want to try and get away from the source of pain. She did not wish for him to injure himself further, but could not stop him from acting out of human instinct, even if it was against what was best for him.

She soon found what she needed. It was going to take a couple of trips, but Rodney would probably die if she did not work quickly. Gathering up the crates she found, she made her way back to him.

She noticed that his eyes were open and watching her tiredly. He was holding onto the dart and shaking in pain. As she glanced at him, his eyes watered and tears tracked down his face. He soon closed them and looked away.

Teyla frowned and carefully stacked the crates on the deck next to him. She gauged their height and went back to find some more. When she returned the second time, Rodney was gazing blankly at the metal in front of him and sucking in noisy and rapid breaths through the mask.

She said, "Do not give up hope, Rodney. John and Ronon are on their way to us."

He blinked slowly and turned his face to her, "What about the Wraith?"

Teyla finished stacking the crates and measured the height of the pile with her eyes to make sure it was correct. She then pushed it along slowly underneath Rodney until he was sitting on top of the pile and his weight was off the spike through his chest. He gritted his teeth as she worked and cried out when he shifted slightly.

Teyla frowned that she was now causing him more pain, but it would be better than him squirming every time he gave in to his instincts and moved on his own.

He nodded slowly at her and took one of his hands off the dart to reach into his tac vest. He pulled out a scanner and looked down at it blearily. He then frowned and turned the screen to show Teyla. "Wraith," he mumbled.

Teyla saw many life signs converging on their location just before the scanner slipped through Rodney's fingers and fell onto the deck below. He screwed his eyes tightly closed and tilted his head back as he started to wheeze painfully.

Teyla grabbed his shoulder and reached across so that she could grasp the other one in anticipation. She was very upset that she had not been wrong in her prediction as a coughing fit engulfed the scientist and she felt him tremble in her grasp. He was unconscious again before the choking subsided.

-------------------

_**Earlier…**_

Teyla grabbed her rucksack from the rear compartment as Rodney landed the Jumper close to the Wraith dart facility they had been assigned to destroy. He sighed heavily and got up to join her. He clipped a P90 to the front of his tac vest and stuck a tablet onto the velcro across his back.

Teyla smiled at him and asked, "Shall we?"

Rodney glared at her petulantly and then his expression softened, "Alright. Uh, after you."

Teyla smiled and walked out of the rear hatch of the Jumper. Rodney pulled out his scanner and muttered, "That's strange, there are no life signs located anywhere in the facility."

Teyla frowned as she left the Jumper and glanced up at the garish structure looming over them. "I am not sensing any Wraith here either unless they are hibernating."

Rodney had his eyes down on the tiny screen and had not seen the building yet. He said, "I would've expected a welcoming party of some kind for such an important base."

Teyla narrowed her eyes and felt savagely glad that they were about to destroy the monstrous building in front of them. Dark purple tendrils snaked around it making it appear like a large organic entity. She saw the darts growing from the side of the structure and they looked like a crop she had found on a planet many years ago. The edible portion consisted of many seeds attached to an inedible centre. The building was the purple and red and it made her shudder a little.

"Ugh, that is absolutely gross and disgusting," a loud and indignant male voice said behind her.

She turned to Rodney and raised her eyebrows, "We will not have to stay here for long."

Rodney grimaced and cast his eyes down to the scanner again and continued to mumble under his breath so that Teyla could not hear him.

As they approached the entrance, the sound of a dart came to their ears. Teyla turned around and pointed her P90 up at the sky. She saw the dart getting closer and pushed Rodney ahead of her as she backed up towards the building.

The dart did not notice them and slowed down as it latched onto the side of the structure. Vein-like tendrils and conduits enveloped the ship and the cockpit opened. Teyla tightened her finger on the trigger of her gun, but then frowned in confusion when she saw the dart was empty.

Rodney spoke from behind her, "That's interesting. Maybe they test them out first, but do it remotely to avoid losing pilots in a faulty ship."

Teyla turned around and went ahead of Rodney into the building.

---------------------

_**Present…**_

Teyla firmly pressed her hands on the bandages around the spike in Rodney's chest and frowned. She had her P90 close for when the Wraith arrived and got through the hull. She only hoped that they did not try to fly the damaged dart out of the Jumper. The shock and blood loss would kill Rodney very quickly if the spike were to be removed in that manner.

As she kept her hands on his chest, she thought her ears picked up intermittent P90 and blaster fire from nearby. She frowned and focused her attention on Rodney's pale face. The nose of the dart had punctured his chest high up on the right side. She knew it had probably fractured his shoulder blade on its way through. Rodney was very lucky it had not hit him more to the left or it would have pierced his heart and he would not have survived.

Suddenly a loud smashing sound rang out inside the craft. Teyla jumped a little and took her blood soaked hands away from Rodney as she grabbed her P90 and angled it towards the source of the noise.

A man spoke, "Teyla, it's Sheppard and Ronon. We've got some cutting and welding gear."

Ronon mumbled, "We took care of those Wraith for you and Major Lorne's hovering his Jumper above us in case any more decide to show up."

Teyla placed her gun back on the deck when she saw Sheppard's face from under the dart almost filling the rear compartment.

Ronon stepped forward and crouched down to squeeze past the dart. Teyla raised her eyebrows at how Ronon managed to make himself so small when his considerable height made it difficult to get past the nose of the Wraith ship. He was also carrying a field stretcher and some other equipment.

Ronon nodded at Teyla and then frowned at Rodney. "Hey, keep him alive and as still as possible while we work."

He went around her and propped the stretcher against the wall. He pulled out several thick sheets of material and slid them behind Rodney's back carefully.

He then grabbed a large saw and walked past Teyla. She took hold of Rodney to prevent the vibrations from hurting him further. She was surprised at how quickly Ronon got through the metal and at how careful he was not to move the dart's nose too much.

When Ronon finished he moved over and helped Teyla to hold onto the injured scientist. He reached up and activated his radio, "Sheppard, we're clear."

_"Okay. Remember to tell me if I get too close."_

Teyla frowned in confusion until a bright orange line proceeded from the top of the rear hatch and ran down the side of Rodney. He never got too close to the scientist and made quick work of the task.

When he started on the other side, Ronon let go of Rodney and said, "I need to get outside and help him. Stay here and make sure McKay doesn't move."

Teyla set her lips in a thin line as the orange glow wavered and faltered for a second and then continued. Ronon must have been keeping hold of the hatch from the other side, as it did not move even when Sheppard finished.

The metal very slowly began to lower and Teyla kicked the crates aside as she kept Rodney still as he was laid down backwards. He was still pinned to the hatch by the spike now free from the rest of the dart.

When the cut section was completely clear, she helped Ronon and Sheppard carry the heavy hatch and the trapped scientist back to the rescue Jumper.

Teyla blinked tiredly in the sudden bright light and the pounding in her head reasserted itself. She steeled herself as Rodney was far more seriously injured than she was and needed her help.

Sheppard had already removed some floor panels in the rear compartment of the undamaged Jumper in anticipation.

He carefully lined them up and lowered Rodney down so that the spike went into the deck and did not push up to injure him further.

------------------

_**Earlier…**_

Rodney smiled as he downloaded data onto his tablet. Teyla glanced around the corridor warily and never lowered her P90 from its ready position. She found it strange that they had still not been attacked or detected. The interior of the facility looked just like a Hive ship.

Rodney sighed and tapped the screen of his computer quickly. "Okay, we're all set. Let's set the charges and get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."

Teyla nodded and guided them down the corridor under Rodney's directions.

They soon reached their target and attached C4 from Teyla's rucksack onto several power conduits.

As they walked back along the corridor, Rodney suddenly stopped behind her. He said, "Hey, check this out."

Teyla spun around and followed his gaze finger towards the wall. She frowned and baulked slightly when she saw that a Wraith was only just visible cocooned behind organic tendrils. Rodney grabbed his scanner and tapped on the screen. "It seems like this Wraith is connected to conduits running around the base and linking him to several of the growing darts outside."

Teyla raised her eyebrows and asked, "Can he not hear us?"

Rodney frowned, "I don't think so, but I'd rather not find out."

Teyla nodded and they walked quickly along the corridor and out of the base still unacknowledged by the Wraith.

As they made haste back to the cloaked Jumper hidden a short distance away the sound of darts could be heard high overhead. Teyla gazed up at the sky and suddenly a large explosion rang out and she saw an orange fireball.

Rodney did not need any coaxing as he joined her to run the rest of the way.

"Sheppard to all teams. There are darts flying around up here. Hurry up and get out of there."

Teyla replied, "Acknowledged. Are they attacking you?"

"Yes, that last one took a few pot shots at us as soon as we got back on the Jumper. It must've tracked our life signs."

Teyla answered a little breathlessly, "We are nearly back to our Jumper. Please hold them off for a little longer."

Rodney opened the rear hatch of the Jumper and they ran inside.

Sheppard's voice crackled over their radios again, _"I didn't quite get that last one, its drawing closer to your position. I think I took out its weapons. Get that ship off the ground McKay!"_

Rodney sealed the rear hatch and turned around to look at Teyla who was watching him. As he looked past her out of the windscreen his eyes widened…

--------------

_**Present…**_

Back on Atlantis, Teyla lit some candles in her quarters and crossed her legs as she sat down on the floor.

Taking some deep breaths she tried to clear her mind for meditation. The usual stillness which usually very quickly washed over her was absent. She was highly frustrated when she found that she could not concentrate and block out her emotions.

Images of Rodney pinned to the rear hatch in the Jumper swam out of the darkness and she furrowed her brow at the recollection. He had saved her life; she had no doubt about that. Had he not pushed her out of the way, she would be dead. He had paid dearly for his actions and had very nearly fulfilled the ultimate definition of self-sacrifice.

She was glad that the Wraith dart facilities had all been destroyed successfully, but it was not enough payment for what Rodney was going through.

Teyla's eyes snapped open and she stared at the bright orange flame of the candle closest to her. Rodney was still in surgery and fighting for his life. Teyla trusted Dr Keller with his life and with her own life if it ever came to that. She had waited as long as possible with the others until they had been forced to leave the infirmary by a nurse who promised to call them with any news.

She had returned to her quarters and wished to say an Athosian prayer for Rodney during her meditation in order to give him strength. However, as hard as she tried, she found she could only run through the words in her mind and was too distracted. She even began to feel that Rodney had been too badly hurt for the prayer to conceivably do him any good.

Teyla sighed softly and blew out the candles before leaving her quarters and heading back to the infirmary. On the way she met Ronon and Sheppard who were also trying to sneak back in to resume their vigil.

-----------------

Rodney was in surgery for a very long time. The waiting pressed heavily on Teyla and the others as they knew how serious his injuries were and could only imagine the complexity of trying to remove the spike from the scientist without causing him further harm.

Teyla therefore felt great relief when a very tired and harassed looking Dr Keller came out of the operating room and walked over to them. Behind her, a gurney surrounded by bleeping and flashing equipment was wheeled past into the corner of the room, surrounded by many people.

She stopped in front of them and looked nervously in Rodney's direction before speaking. "We managed to remove the piece of dart from his chest. I won't lie to you though; his injuries were very severe and he lost a lot of blood. As well as fracturing several of his ribs and puncturing right through his lung, Rodney's shoulder blade was broken by the dart. Quite frankly I'm amazed that he survived at all and I'd like to thank you."

She looked at Teyla in particular and then at Sheppard and Ronon, "_All_ of you, for delivering him to us in a condition we could still work with."

Teyla set her lips in a thin line and then relaxed her face back to a neutral expression.

Dr Keller sighed and looked down, "We nearly lost him several times. He'll still need a lot of support from us and from you if he's to make it."

---------------

Teyla continued her vigil next to Rodney's bed in the infirmary rather than privately in her quarters. Dr Keller had not permitted her to light any candles so close to her patient, but Teyla did not mind.

Initially, the hiss and sigh of the ventilator aided her meditation for Rodney's swift recovery. When he rejected the breathing tube, she was able to meditate without it just as easily.

She sat cross-legged on the bed next to him and closed her eyes. She was just about to clear her mind when a soft voice croaked, "Am I really that boring?"

Teyla smiled and frowned as she opened her eyes to look at Rodney's pale face. She unfolded her legs and walked over to him. Giving him a little water she rested her hand on his forehead and he closed his eyes. "Not at all, Rodney. Perhaps I should teach you the benefits of meditation when you are better."

She left her hand on his face and he twitched slightly from the touch and mumbled, "Sheppard already tried…" before he fell asleep again.

Teyla smiled and slowly removed her hand. She then sat back on the bed and closed her eyes again. She felt relief flow through her that Rodney was recovering, but did not let her concentration drop as she prayed and meditated for him just as hard as she had done previously.

-----------

A/N – I actually wrote this as it is and didn't chop it up afterwards. I added to 'Earlier/Present' markers as an afterthought. I hope it's not too confusing! Thanks x Varda x


	34. The Wruddle Dumper

Disclaimer – The usual

Please ignore the duff physics – it's fun, right? (and it _is_ sci-fi after all!)

'_What do you get when you cross a Wraith Dart with a Puddle Jumper?'_

Here's the punchline…

**The Wruddle Dumper**

Rodney met John in the Jumper Bay as Sheppard stepped out of the rear hatch of one of the ships.

Sheppard gave him a confused look, "So what's this all about, McKay? You've had me dropping off crates all around the planet and in space. Not that I mind flying, but it just seems like an odd thing to do."

Rodney smiled and looked down at the tablet he was holding in his hand. "You placed them exactly where I asked?"

"Yes."

"Hmm…" Rodney frowned a little as he tapped the screen of the tablet a few times. "The one in the sea's drifted slightly. Good thing I put trackers in them."

John folded his arms across his chest and said, "What are you going to do with them."

Rodney looked up from his tablet and his eyes beamed in excitement as he spoke, "What's the one thing Wraith Darts have that Jumpers don't?"

"Uh, Wraith?"

Rodney shot him a sour look and Sheppard then said, "A really, really pointy nose?"

Rodney's frown deepened and he held up his hand in annoyance, "Teleporters, Colonel! More commonly known as scoop beams."

"So you've found a way to put one in a Puddle Jumper and you sent me out to drop off some stuff for you to grab?"

Rodney straightened up and looked a little put out as he raised his chin at Sheppard, "Yes, but it's slightly more complicated than that."

He walked away from the rear hatch and over to another Jumper in the Bay. Sheppard followed him out of curiosity.

Rodney stepped into the rear compartment of the craft and turned to face John. In the back of the Jumper there was a fairly large diamond shaped white object with some clear panels on the side. Dr Zelenka was sitting on the bench next to it and typing calculations into a tablet. He looked up briefly and acknowledged McKay and Sheppard before turning his face down and frowning as he resumed his work.

Sheppard raised an eyebrow at the Wraith beaming device and looked at McKay, "Is that…"

"Yes, the very same one that I was inadvertently beamed into a while ago." Rodney shuddered slightly and grimaced.

"But I thought it was in storage?"

Zelenka peered up at them from the bench and said, "We decided to get it out again and run an experiment."

Rodney rolled his eyes, "We've been collecting spare parts from Wraith ships for a while now and have been working at rigging it up to the Puddle Jumper systems for the past few weeks. It seems to work so far, but we do need to do a proper test, while the Jumper's in motion."

Radek got up and went over to the pilot's chair and started tapping at the controls while he glanced down at his tablet every now and then.

Rodney led John outside the Jumper and round to the side. He pointed to the bottom of the craft, which Sheppard now noticed was raised from the ground slightly. "It beams in an object under the Jumper, holds it in the buffer for a few seconds and then rematerializes it inside the rear compartment."

Sheppard grinned, "That would be great if it works! We wouldn't have to land to rescue people anymore."

Rodney smiled smugly and waved his hand down at the bottom of the Jumper. "Obviously, we can also keep the object inside the buffer if necessary."

"So you're going to go and pick up the crates?"

"That's the idea. We had to alter the code slightly to be able to pick up inorganic objects as well as organic ones."

"Don't you want me to come with you?"

Rodney shook his head, "No, it's fine. I've already asked enough of you for the time being. Anyway, haven't you got 'military stuff' to do for the rest of the day?"

"Yes, but this does seem to be more important."

Rodney sighed impatiently, "Well, thanks for the offer, but I think we've got it under control. I'm going to fly the Jumper and Radek will stay on Atlantis to monitor the mission. All the controls are hooked into the pilot's console, so I'm really the only one who can do this."

"Oh," Sheppard said unhappily and looked down. He then snapped his head back up and glanced at McKay, "Well, good luck then. I'll see you later."

Rodney nodded at him and he walked away.

McKay stepped around to the back of the Jumper and went inside. He turned sideways to move past the device and joined Zelenka in the cockpit. He sat in the co-pilot's chair and let out a sigh as he looked out of the window tiredly. He turned to Radek and asked, "So, are we all set?"

"Yes. Although, there may be a problem with the crate on the water."

Rodney laid his own computer down on the console and reached across. He grabbed Zelenka's tablet and tapped the screen a few times. "Hmm, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the calculations."

"I know. It is more about solids and liquids. We know the device does not beam air, but we do not know about water."

Rodney frowned and stopped typing as he thought. "There's only really one way to find out."

Radek nodded, "I suggest you hold the water crate in the buffer, just in case."

Rodney mumbled in agreement.

Radek pushed his glasses up and stood. He took the tablet he was working with away from Rodney and said, "I'm going to the lab. Call me when you're ready."

McKay nodded and retrieved his tablet. He plugged it into the pilot's console and ran over some final checks.

* * *

Rodney tilted the Jumper up into the sky as it left the bay. It was another perfect day over Lantea and ideal for the experiment.

He guided the small craft through the air unsteadily around the towers of Atlantis and moved it slowly over to one of the piers. He brought up the HUD and located his first target. "Hey, Radek?"

"_Go ahead, Rodney."_

"This Wraith tech is all very crude when compared to the Asgard transporters on the Daedalus. You know I've been thinking…"

Radek cut him off, _"You should focus on mission, maybe?"_

Rodney kept his mouth open for a moment. He then closed it and pressed his lips in a thin line. He frowned in concentration as he got the Jumper as close as possible to the first crate in the centre of the pier and lined the craft up for his run.

"Okay, here we go."

He swooped the Jumper down low over the pier and activated the beam. The reading from the crate vanished. Rodney glanced down at his tablet and saw it showing as being inside the buffer of the Wraith device. It then shimmered back into existence near the hatch in the rear compartment,.

Rodney turned in his chair at smiled indulgently. "The first crate is onboard. Proceeding to the next target."

Radek said over the radio, _"There was a slight fluctuation in the beam, but it was well within our predictions."_

Rodney's self-satisfied expression deepened. He pointed the Jumper skywards and sped it up as it gained altitude. Soon, he was out in space and the second crate loomed closer on the HUD. Again he scooped up the crate easily, without a hitch.

Rodney said, "The next one's in the sea. I'm going to divert to the mainland and get that one first."

Radek replied, _"Of course. That way you keep the water one in the buffer until you get back?"_

"Precisely."

The third crate was soon in the rear hatch next to the other two and Rodney spun the Jumper around and flew it out over the sea. The final crate was floating in the water a few miles away from the mainland. He had placed it there very deliberately. He mumbled, "Nice shallow water…"

"_I didn't quite catch that, Rodney?"_

"Uh, I'm nearly at the fourth crate. I'm recalibrating the device to scoop and store."

"_Acknowledged."_

Rodney entered some code in his tablet and his eyes tracked along the screen to check the systems. "Okay, it's ready."

"_I have checked it too. It is fine."_

Rodney released an angry breath and snapped, "Of course it's fine!"

He flew the Jumper low over the sea and spotted the crate bobbing up and down as it was dragged along the surface of the water in a current. He activated the scoop beam and the crate vanished in the white light which emanated from the underside of the Jumper.

He turned the Jumper back towards Atlantis and flew it up a little higher above the water. He then looked down at his tablet and saw that the crate was successfully stored in the buffer of the Wraith device.

As he watched, the screen flickered red for a moment and then settled again. "Hmm. Odd."

"_What was that?"_

"I'm not sure." Rodney tapped on the screen for a few seconds and his eyes widened as it flashed red and stayed that way.

His voice rose in panic, "It's overloading the buffer!"

"_Beam it out."_

"I can't! We've only made the system one-way for now."

Rodney was frantically typing on the tablet, trying desperately to reverse the code he had created, when the buffer finally gave up. Freezing cold water beamed out of the device and flooded the interior of the Jumper. Rodney gasped as the water rapidly rose above his knees and went past his chest.

He quickly lost the computer as his fingers went numb. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as his body shivered in the sudden temperature change.

The Jumper's engines were straining under the rematerialized weight of the water as it continued to rise inside the craft. It spun down slowly and belly flopped into the sea as it lost its battle with gravity.

Rodney mumbled, "Not again," as he kicked his legs and kept his face above the rising cold water. He saw his tablet floating by and made a grab for it. Pulling it closer, his teeth rattled together as he tapped the screen to try and find out what was happening.

He tapped his headset and his voice trembled as he spoke, "Radek, are you still there?"

"McKay to Zelenka?" He squeaked in fear, "McKay to Atlantis?"

There was no reply. He frowned, as he knew the communicator had worked before when he was underwater. Unless he was too deep for the signal to reach the city, or maybe it had been damaged by the water or the Wraith device.

He was losing the feeling in his arms and legs and his head went under the water for a moment. He forced himself to surface again and painfully coughed out the water he had inhaled. He winced and furrowed his brow as the water got closer to the ceiling. His breathing space was rapidly running out.

The tablet told him that the engines still had some power, but not enough to fly up out of the sea and dump the water out through the rear hatch. They seemed to be holding the Jumper up fairly close to the surface. Rodney did not like his chances of surviving a swim out of the rear hatch. He did not want to lose the Jumper either if he could avoid it.

He looked down through the water at the device in the rear compartment. He could see it glowing white through the distorted water. His shaking form was creating ripples across the surface of the water while he struggled to keep his head out of the chilled water.

Very soon there were only a few inches of air left beneath the ceiling. Rodney steeled himself and decided he was going to have to abandon ship and at least try to get to the surface or he would drown.

He ducked under the water and swam out of the cockpit to the rear compartment. He blinked through his misty vision down at the Wraith device as he moved past it. He then surfaced next to the rear hatch and pushed aside the floating crates to get closer. His breath was coming in rapid pants through the cold and he was struggling to stay afloat as his limbs disobeyed his commands to move.

He closed his eyes and reached out a shaking hand towards the emergency release on the rear hatch. As he grasped the handle, the Wraith device next to him suddenly exploded under the water as it short-circuited.

The force of the blast sent the water away from the device. Rodney and the floating crates were all savagely thrown backwards into the walls of the rear compartment. One of the crates in front of Rodney was slammed back into him. He inhaled some water in shock as the edge caught him in the torso and splintered a little under the force of the impact into his body.

As Rodney started to bleed, the water flooding the Jumper was tainted a rusty red colour in front of him. He fisted his numb hands as best he could against the pain, but he was still underwater and was fast running out of breath.

The water in the Jumper settled after the ripples from the explosion dissipated. Rodney was able to breach the surface again and drew in a laboured breath. He was soon wracked by a bout of coughing and spat blood out into the water. He looked down in front of himself and saw the trail of red as it leaked from him. Salt water stung his injuries horribly and he furrowed his brow in anguish.

His teeth continued to chatter and he shook violently through the blood loss, cold and pain. He closed his eyes in defeat as he realised that he would never be able to hold his breath for long enough to get to the surface now. He knew that the water level had stopped rising, but that was small comfort to him as he felt himself slipping away and getting weaker with every passing second.

He tried to find out where he was bleeding, but he could not localise the source of the pain. His numb fingers were useless as he pressed them against his abdomen as he could not feel any injuries either.

He decided to try and at least minimize the hypothermia now that there was not such a rush to exit the craft to avoid drowning.

He dived under the water again and used his unfeeling hands and arms to drag himself along the walls of the Jumper to propel himself back into the cockpit. A trail of red followed him and was soon diluted in the cold water.

When he surfaced again, he located his abandoned tablet and set it to warm the water in the craft. He then brought up the engine schematic. He blinked tiredly and his hands shook so much that he kept dropping the tablet back into the water with a splash.

He saw that the engines where holding the Jumper stationary near the surface of the sea. There was not enough power left for him to fly it out of the water, but there was enough for him to move the Jumper under the sea. He clenched his teeth together and willed himself to remain focused and not pass out. He angled the Jumper at the mainland which was only a few miles away and fired the engines to guide the craft towards it.

The water in the Jumper was beginning to warm up and Rodney's shivering diminished. Blood was still flowing out of him, but he still had no idea how badly hurt he was. His eyes slowly closed as he began to lose his fight with unconsciousness. He frowned and snapped them open and reached up to hold onto the ceiling in the Jumper. He winced as he stretched and he wrapped his free arm tightly around his chest and side as he waited.

Rodney's head was lolling down towards the water when light suddenly streamed through the windscreen and illuminated the tinted water with sunlight. The brightness pressed through Rodney's eyelids and he groaned as he cracked his eyes open to see what had happened. He grimaced and dragged himself through the water towards the rear hatch. He was too weak to pat away the pieces of broken crate in the rear compartment and he kept a hand firmly clamped against his abdomen as he pulled down the rear hatch emergency release lever.

He cried out as he was washed out of the back of the Jumper and plunged into the cold sea once more. His voice was quickly muffled as he was again dragged underwater. He broke the surface and choked out the water he had inhaled. He was still coughing out blood and he closed his eyes.

After a few pain filled seconds of shaking, he narrowly opened his eyes and noticed the beach just a few metres away. He planted his feet on the ground in the shallow water and stumbled towards the shore. He fell forwards as the water got shallower and he lost his footing. He then started to crawl. Soon his hands and knees were covered in sand as it clung to his clothes.

He coughed weakly and looked down at himself. He saw red water dripping from his clothes and creating a gory trail in the sand. He closed his eyes and sprawled out on the sand on his front as he lost consciousness.

Before he was completely lost to awareness, there was a slight vibration and he thought he saw another Jumper landing nearby with people rushing out of the rear hatch. Shouting voices soon faded away to silence and Rodney let the waves of darkness carry him away peacefully.

* * *

Sheppard watched out of the windscreen of the speeding Jumper as a forlorn figure crawled slowly up the beach and fell down to lie still. He rapidly swooped the Jumper down and landed it as close as possible to Rodney.

Beckett hopped out of his seat as soon as he had seen McKay's figure and he recognized pain when he saw it. He grabbed his medical gear from the rear compartment and waited impatiently until Sheppard had finished his manoeuvre and opened the rear hatch. The two members of his medical team he had also brought with him carried a stretcher between them and some more equipment.

As Carson walked quickly over to Rodney, his feet sank down into the fine sand and made it hard move. His colleagues went behind him.

Sheppard followed them out. He had been tracking Rodney's Jumper ever since it had crashed into the sea. Dr Zelenka called him as soon as the mission went wrong. He prepared for the worst and asked Beckett to accompany him. The Doctor had obviously thought along the same lines as the Colonel, as he had insisted on bringing all his gear and two more people to help him.

Sheppard had been unable to use the grapple to pull the Jumper out of the water. He had hoped that McKay would have sunk the Jumper right to the seabed so that they could have used the shield trick again. To John's dismay, the scientist had not done it. He thought that perhaps McKay did not want to once again be surrounded by crushing water, even though the sea where the craft had gone down was relatively shallow and safe.

Carson knelt by Rodney's side and said, "What have you done to yourself this time?"

Sheppard grimaced in sympathy when he saw the red bloody trail along the beach and the grooves in the sand where Rodney had dragged himself out of the water.

Carson and his team checked Rodney carefully and then rolled him over onto his back on the stretcher.

"I need some pressure bandages." Carson said to one of his team as he cut away Rodney's shirt and found deep lacerations along his chest and abdomen. There were large areas of dark purple bruising all down McKay's front.

Sheppard crouched to help, but Carson's team had it under control. One of them laid a mask over Rodney's face while the other placed bandages against the bleeding gashes. Carson gently checked Rodney's chest with his hands and winced, "Aye, he's got some fractured ribs and internal bleeding. We need to get him back to Atlantis."

The medical team worked quickly and soon had Rodney covered in blankets and strapped down on the stretcher. Sheppard helped them carry his friend into the rear compartment of their Jumper.

They left the other craft beached. The sand had been pushed up in front of the ship and waves lapped inside the rear compartment as the hatch remained open to the elements. They would need to come back and get it later.

* * *

Sheppard sat with Rodney in the infirmary a few days later. The scientist was tentatively spooning jello into his mouth and looking grim.

John smirked and said, "Going down with the ship; taken to a new extreme."

Rodney paused with the spoon hovering in his mouth. He took it out without eating the jello and placed it back in he pot. He said indignantly, "Oh, laugh it up, Colonel. I saved the Jumper didn't I?"

"Sure you did. Zelenka says the Wraith scoop beam is a write off though. Hmm, it was a good idea while it lasted."

Rodney frowned and winced. He put the half finished pot of jello down on the table next to his bed and closed his eyes in pain.

Sheppard called Carson over and said, "I think there must be something wrong because he's stopped eating."

Rodney mumbled quietly as his eyes screwed more tightly closed, "'He' can hear you."

Carson said, "Our Rodney off food? Okay, I'm going to give you something for the pain. Try to relax."

Rodney spoke though gritted teeth, "Relaxing would be nice right about now, Carson."

Beckett smiled in exasperation and injected something into Rodney's IV line. He patted McKay's shoulder as the scientist's muscles loosened from where he had stiffened them against he pain. He opened his tired blue eyes and looked at Sheppard.

He said, "Hmm, how about we steal another scoop beam device from the next Wraith Dart we shoot down?"

Sheppard smiled, "We seem to get an awful lot of them don't we?"

Rodney drifted off to sleep and Sheppard leant in closer and continued anyway, "No more water scooping rescues though. If someone gets stranded in the sea we'll just have to fish them out the old fashioned way."

He sat back in his seat and picked up his book while he waited for Rodney to get better.

* * *

A/N – Just realised this chap was also a cross between 'Duet' and 'Grace Under Pressure…'


	35. Sparkling Streamers

Disclaimer – Whatever :P

Hope everyone has a very Happy Christmas and New Year!

Here's some festive Puddle Jumper whump for you…

A/N - Just a cultural difference... tinsel (UK) is garland (US) - thanks **Debbie418uk2**!

**Sparkling Streamers**

A solitary figure was leaning over a Jumper in the bay. The engines were fanned open from the fuselage to allow him access while he worked.

Rodney put the screwdriver in between his lips and frowned in concentration as he typed on his tablet for a few seconds. Satisfied, he tucked the computer under his arm and retrieved the screwdriver. He carefully prodded at a device attached to the open drive pod.

Suddenly a loud bang from immediately behind Rodney's back made him jump and drop his screwdriver inside the engine pod. Small multicoloured streamers of paper landed in his hair. He closed his eyes and grimaced just before a large wreath of gold tinsel was put over his head and hung down around his neck.

He sighed and turned around to face his attacker.

Sheppard had blue tinsel around his own neck and a broad smirk on his face. "Why are you up here, McKay? It's Christmas Eve. You should be celebrating with the rest of us."

Rodney shook his head, "The Wraith don't take days off, Colonel. What if Atlantis were to be attacked?" He frowned and turned to peer down into the drive pod. He saw his screwdriver deep inside the engine. He stuck his hand inside and only just managed to reach the tool with his fingertips. He slowly lifted it out and brandished it at John. "I've just got far too much work to do to be fraternising." Rodney needed to try and fob him off to carry on with his plan.

Sheppard looked a little hurt and stepped back with his hands held out. "Just thought you could do with some time off. It's only once a year after all."

Rodney reached up and brushed the paper out of his hair from the party popper. He tugged at the tinsel on his chest, but thought better of it when he saw John's crestfallen face. He set his lips in a thin line and tried to smile.

Sheppard reached forwards and grabbed the tablet from under Rodney's arm and even managed to relieve him of the screwdriver. McKay let them go and turned back to the drive pod. He ran his hands across something in the engine and raised his eyebrows. He then sealed the compartment around the pod and turned to John.

"If you really must know, I've been installing something I found in one of the labs a couple of months ago." He waved his hand around the bay to indicate a few of the Jumpers which also had their drive pods open.

John looked at him curiously, "Months? Why have you decided to do it now?"

Rodney shifted uncomfortably and looked down nervously, "Uh, I wanted it to be a surprise…"

John frowned in confusion and Rodney continued, "Well, obviously the Ancients were human and must've had festivals and such like. I found a lab full of these streamers a while ago. They only attached them to the Jumpers on special occasions."

"Streamers?"

Rodney smiled and he looked back up at John in excitement, "They trail out of the engines while in flight. I've seen diagrams in the database, but it would be nice to see them in action with my own eyes." He looked pleadingly at Sheppard and quoted his own words back at him, "It is Christmas after all."

John grinned, "The Ancients, huh? I never figured them as the celebrating kind. Why didn't they just settle for fireworks like the rest of us?"

Rodney shrugged and took his tablet back from John. He studied the screen for a moment and then walked over and stepped into the Jumper. He pressed a few controls in the cockpit and the engines retracted back into the sides of the hull.

John followed him inside and said, "Day or night?"

Rodney shot him a questioning look and Sheppard elaborated, "The streamers; are they better at day or night?"

"Uh, night, I think. The diagrams were unclear and the text was the usual cryptic Ancient uselessness."

John laughed and said, "Well it's a couple of hours until nightfall. How about we get some gene carriers together and arrange a little display? Should be fun!"

"Hmm, fun…" Rodney grimaced and absent mindedly fiddled with the tinsel around his neck. "I've rigged up four of the Jumpers with the devices, so you'll need another three volunteers."

John raised his eyebrows incredulously, "Oh, that's fine Rodney, you don't need to ask. I don't mind flying one of them…"

Rodney raised his chin indignantly, "Great, thanks. I think I'll leave the rest in your capable hands and join the others."

Sheppard grinned and patted Rodney on the back as they headed down to the Mess Hall. "This is going to be good."

As they stepped out of the transporter, loud music and talking echoed down the corridor towards them and Rodney adjusted the tinsel on his chest and ran his fingers though his hair to check for stray paper. He smiled as he got closer to the Mess Hall.

* * *

"Are you sure this is best place for us to be, Dr McKay?" Teyla asked as she stood out on the pier in the dark.

There was a large crowd gathered and many people were already talking happily and loudly in the cool night air.

Ronon said, "We can see the city."

Teyla frowned and nodded. Rodney was busy typing into a tablet and did not hear them. She went over to stand next to him and leaned in closer, "Rodney, you should leave your work and watch with us."

He looked up and waved her off, "It hasn't started yet. I'm just double checking the program I installed in each Jumper." He frowned, "Hmm, seems to be okay. It should start soon."

He gave Teyla a small smile and tucked the tablet under his arm. The tinsel was still around his neck and Ronon had also found another wreath from somewhere. He had it wrapped around his dreadlocks like a hair tie and it flowed down his back. Teyla was wearing Christmas tree flashing earrings which made it hard for anyone to keep a straight face when they looked at her.

The crowd around them suddenly whooped and cheered as four Jumpers flew from the central Tower and swooped down low over their heads in formation.

They broke formation a short distance out over the sea and spun back towards the city. When they were halfway back, the streamers activated. Green sparks flew from all eight drive pods. The lights hung in the air for a moment and then glided slowly down towards the sea in a long trail behind each craft.

The crowd cheered again. Rodney found himself carried along by the mirth and delight around him and found himself cheering along with the others. He was surprised at the effectiveness of the streamers as the Jumpers began a series of loops and traced intricate circles in the air. As the paths of each craft crossed, every trail was blazoned against the black sky for several seconds.

Rodney was pleasantly surprised at how good the display was; considering Sheppard had only had a couple of hours to prepare. The colours left behind in the wake of each Jumper by the streamers altered as per what Rodney had programmed into each system. They were perfectly synchronised and the colours swapped from green to red to blue and a myriad of other shades. Sometimes the hue changed so that every colour was different and the sky was soon alight in a bright wash of rainbows.

The gathered Lanteans clapped in happiness and tracked the Jumpers with their eyes as they began running loops around the towers of Atlantis. Bright spirals of colour spun around each of the buildings wherever the Jumpers flew.

The Jumpers met at the top of the central tower and turned to fly back towards the pier; the streamers still flowing out behind each craft.

As they got closer, suddenly the Jumper on the right of the formation veered off course and collided into the one next to it. There was a collective intake of breath and Rodney reached up to tap his radio, "Sheppard!" was all he could say before the impact tore one of the drive pods away from the Jumper on the right.

The three remaining Jumpers flew over the pier and out towards the sea again as the damaged one spun down towards the gathered crowd.

People screamed and scattered as the drive pod kept up its momentum and ploughed into the pier, mercifully missing the spectators by a few metres. Everyone ran away as fast as they could, but there was no way to tell exactly where the Jumper was going to hit the pier as it erratically weaved through the air towards them. The streamers were still active and wobbly red lines of light were etched into the air to mark out the course of the doomed ship.

McKay ran with the others and soon lost Teyla and Ronon in the confusion. He had his back to the Jumper as it hit the pier and the vibration from the impact made nearby people fall over. It continued to drag along the pier and Rodney turned around and his eyes widened in fear when he saw it was heading straight for him.

He knew he had no-where to go to get out of its path as it was moving too quickly. He raised his arms helplessly to shield his head and turned sideways as the Jumper ploughed into him and knocked him out of the way.

Rodney was unconscious before he landed. He jarringly and limply rolled over and over for several metres and then lay still. His face was streaked with blood and his head fell to the side as he stopped moving.

The Jumper kept going for a few more seconds and halted just before it pitched over the edge of the pier into the sea.

There was chaos on the pier as people were still running around and shouting in fright over what had just happened. Rodney was alone for a while before Teyla and Ronon fought their way through the panicked crowd and managed to find him. Ronon used his height advantage to look around and beckoned Dr Beckett over to help.

Carson crouched down next to Rodney and loosened the tinsel now tightly coiled around his throat. He grabbed a penlight out of his pocket and shone the light down onto McKay. He winced when he saw the blood and bruises on the scientist's face. He quickly radioed for an emergency medical team and turned to Teyla and Ronon.

"Check in the Jumper. Make sure the pilot's alright and grab the medical kit please."

They nodded and made haste over the rear hatch of the crashed Jumper. As they moved, the remaining airborne Jumpers made their way down and landed on the pier a short distance away from the crowd. The rear hatches opened and Sheppard ran out with the med kit from his Jumper and made his way over to the crowd. He called out for calm and the marines from the other Jumpers helped him to reassure everyone.

Off duty marines, who had turned up to watch the display, were also calling for calm and gathering the civilians together to make sure they were alright. Dr Weir was being level headed and ripples of quiet spread out through the gathered people as she reassured them and carefully repaired frayed nerves.

Teyla and Ronon had difficulty accessing the downed Jumper, but eventually the hatch opened on its own and they went inside. The pilot held his head tightly with one hand and looked a little dazed as he turned to look at them. He blinked blearily as he pushed himself upright in his chair and then leant over slightly to the right.

Teyla went over to him and then turned to Ronon. She said, "I shall stay here, take the medical kit to Doctor Beckett."

Ronon grunted and eyed the pilot before he took the gear from the overhead storage racks and quickly walked away. As he approached Carson, some off-duty staff from the infirmary joined him.

He handed them the bag and stood back to give them some room.

Beckett and his colleagues placed an oxygen mask over Rodney's mouth and nose. They then quickly cut away the sorry looking and bloody tinsel around his neck and the sleeve of his shirt so that they could insert an IV line. Carson handed the bag to Ronon and he held it up over them as they worked. Beckett cooed quietly down at McKay who showed no signs of awareness as blood steadily flowed down his face, "Hang in there, Rodney. We'll soon have you in a nice comfy bed in the infirmary."

Beckett continued to check Rodney's condition while one of the others bandaged the cut on McKay's head.

Carson announced, "Pulse is rapid, blood pressure low. Where the hell is that medical team!?"

As he spoke, he looked up towards the nearest tower and sighed in relief when he saw the approaching gurney. He quickly gave the whole team a run down on what he had found. "He has a concussion, an open fracture of his upper right arm, possible fracture of lower left forearm, he'll need to be X-rayed to rule it out. No other external signs of trauma. We need to get him under a scanner though, as I suspect he may have internal injuries."

Sheppard had managed to cool the crowd down and saw that the commotion near the crashed Jumper had still not abated. He came over and his face fell in worry when he saw the medical team lifting Rodney up onto the gurney and wheeling him away towards the nearest transporter.

He stood next to Ronon and asked, "What happened?"

Ronon grunted and mumbled, "He got hit."

John frowned in concern, "How fast was it going?"

"Don't know. Pretty fast, McKay was already out of it when he stopped moving."

Sheppard's face suddenly changed into an expression of fury. He stalked over to the rear hatch of the crashed Jumper with Ronon and stepped inside.

Teyla was sitting next to the pilot and he was looking down sadly and had his hands bunched into fists.

Sheppard frowned and then his expression softened. He asked, "Corporal Hollins? What happened?"

The Corporal turned in his chair and said quietly, "I'm _so_ sorry, Colonel." He looked it too and turned his gaze down to examine his hands as he wrung them together. "I just lost control for a second."

John turned to Teyla, "Get him to the infirmary," he then looked at Hollins, "I'll need to speak with you later."

He nodded and let Teyla help him away from the controls and out of the Jumper. John set his lips in a thin and stern line behind the Corporal's back and followed them to the infirmary with Ronon.

The marines around the pier were already herding the remaining civilians back towards the nearest tower and Dr Weir was helping them.

* * *

It was very early on Christmas Day morning when Carson came out of surgery to speak with Rodney's waiting team.

"How is he?" John asked before Carson could speak.

"Well, we've set his upper arm in a cast, but he also had some very serious internal bleeding. I think we managed to repair all of it, but we'll need to keep an eye on him. His forearm is badly bruised but luckily not broken. His head injury, though… I'll need to keep him sedated to make sure there are no complications."

Teyla furrowed her brow, "But will that not mean Rodney shall miss Christmas Day?"

"Aye, I'm afraid so lass. I don't think he's in any condition to enjoy it at the moment anyway."

Ronon said, "Why don't we just postpone it until he can?"

Sheppard smiled, "Don't see why not. We can't stop everyone else from celebrating, but as his team the least we can do is wait."

* * *

The mood on Atlantis was sombre on Christmas Day. Most people had been out on the pier the previous night and many of them had seen Rodney as he was hit by the out of control Jumper. There was a silent consensus among all the inhabitants that they would wait. Celebrating of any kind seemed to be inappropriate based on what had happened.

Rodney's team sat around him in the infirmary as he remained unconscious in a drug induced sleep.

His face was so pale as to be almost translucent under the harsh glare of the infirmary lights. One side was covered in purple bruising stark against his skin. His arm was strapped up and immobilised in a cast.

John had trailed some tinsel along the head of his bed and a small flashing Christmas tree was on the table next to him.

People would periodically come in to visit and offer their support to Rodney as he continued to sleep on.

John would have to deal with the pilot responsible later. He needed to focus his attention on Rodney at the moment. They still had no idea what had actually happened and the investigation was ongoing.

* * *

"How long?" Rodney mumbled as he started to wake up. He cracked his eyes open and glanced around the infirmary tiredly.

Sheppard quickly lowered his legs from where he had had them propped up on the edge of Rodney's bed and leant in closer to the scientist. He said quietly, "Nearly three days."

Rodney sighed sadly and closed his eyes again, "Oh! I missed it."

"No, you didn't," John said with a smile.

"Yes, I did. Christmas Day has already long gone."

"We postponed it. As you're reasonably coherent now, Christmas Day is today!"

Rodney frowned and grimaced. He then fully opened his eyes and looked in wonder at John, "Really? You'd do that for me?"

Sheppard smirked, "Not just me. Come on, see for yourself."

Carson came over and helped John to get Rodney in a wheelchair. Carson said, "I want you back here in a couple of hours. If you're in any discomfort, I want you back here straight away."

Rodney looked up at him sheepishly and John grinned in understanding, "Don't worry Doc, I'll keep him in one piece."

He pushed the scientist out of the infirmary and up the corridor. Rodney had his arm in a sling and held his side firmly with his other hand.

He said without turning, "What happened? I only remember the display and even that is only in vague snippets of memory."

Sheppard stopped and walked around to face Rodney. He said, "One of the Jumpers collided and crashed into the pier. You were hit."

Rodney's eyebrows shot up incredulously, "I got hit by a Jumper?" He furrowed his brow and closed his eyes, "How am I still alive? What about everyone else?"

"They're all fine. A few bruises, but nothing too serious."

Rodney looked down sadly and sighed, "Good." He tried to gesture with his hand but he thought better of it and pressed it back on his abdomen with a pained hiss of breath.

"Hey, are you alright with this?"

"Probably not. Give me a minute."

Rodney took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. He said quietly, "Okay, I'm ready. I won't tell Carson if you don't."

John smiled and walked around behind Rodney and wheeled him into the transporter.

When they exited the transporter, Rodney recognised the corridor on the way to the Mess Hall. It was quiet and he asked, "So, it's just going to be you, Ronon, Teyla and me?"

John kept tight lipped and carried on pushing the wheelchair along. Rodney frowned in confusion at the silence.

His eyes widened when he was pushed through the door into the Mess Hall. The tables had been pushed aside and a large Christmas tree was in the corner of the room. There were a lot of people around the edges of the room and they cheered and clapped as Rodney and John went into the room.

Rodney deeply blushed and John smirked. Sheppard held up his hand to silence them. Reluctantly the noise died away. Rodney could see Ronon and Teyla in the crowd.

Teyla spoke first, "We are all very glad you are getting better, Rodney. We decided we could not celebrate without you."

John beamed at her and Rodney's mouth hung open in shock.

Sheppard nodded and said, "It just wouldn't be the same. We also want to thank you for using your free time to fix up the Jumpers to enable us to give that little display."

Ronon smirked, "Yeah, it was great. Thanks McKay."

Rodney looked like he was about to break down, so John quickly said, "Come on everyone it's Christmas! Stop staring and will someone put some music on!"

People laughed and then extremely loud and obnoxious Christmas songs started blaring out from the sound system. The gathered people started moving around and talking.

Rodney smiled and then spotted the tables laden with food. He grinned and pointed at the tables, "Hey, do you think Carson would mind?"

John smiled mischievously, "I won't tell him if you don't. Just don't make yourself sick or he'll chew us both out."

"Fine by me," Rodney said quickly.

Many people kept coming over and thanking Rodney personally. He was surprised and touched by the number who also expressed concern at his condition and wished him a speedy recovery. He had been there for a lot longer than two hours when an irate Scottish Doctor came to retrieve his missing patient.

Rodney smiled happily at the kindness he had been shown and did not mind leaving the party. John, Teyla and Ronon went with him and another bout of clapping broke out as he left the Mess Hall. He closed his eyes and laughed a little as he grinned.

* * *

A/N - Happy Christmas!


	36. Identity AU

Disclaimer – If you don't know by now… (Thanks to the transcribers on GateWorld for the time saver!)

Massive spoilers for S5 episode 'Identity.'

A/N – Written for **RDAfan61/Shelly**. Because I agree, where _did_ Ronon come from? What if he hadn't been following Neeva around to bail Rodney out? Ouch!

**Identity AU**

Rodney stood in the cockpit of the Puddle Jumper in the bay and gazed in concern at the woman in front of him who looked like Jennifer. He still did not know that she had in fact been taken over by Neeva.

He said, "Look, I don't know what is wrong with you, but you are clearly not yourself. I'm taking you back to the Infirmary"

He reached forwards and tried to grab her so that he could lead her away. She pulled her hand back out of his reach and uttered and definite, "No."

Rodney, slightly fazed, carried on regardless, "Well, you can argue all you want, I'm not letting..."

He stretched out his hand a little more forcefully, but she roughly pushed his shoulder and he backed away slightly. Neeva began to get a little angry at his advances and said, "You are not taking me anywhere."

"Jennifer? I need you to listen to me. As soon as you are cured of whatever it is that is affecting you, you're gonna thank me for this, so, let's go."

Rodney reached forwards yet again and Neeva finally snapped. She said, "No. Don't." As she pushed Rodney around until he was in the cockpit and trapped between the front of the Jumper and her as she stood in the way of his only exit. She quickly reached behind her back and pulled out the gun she had hidden under her shirt and pointed it unwaveringly at Rodney's chest.

Rodney's eyes widened in shock and panic as he glanced nervously down the barrel of the gun being aimed at him by the woman who he thought loved him. He asked through a shaking voice, "What are you doing?"

Neeva gritted her teeth together and her eyes lit up in fury as she said in vehemence, "Should've taken me on that ride."

Her finger squeezed the trigger steadily and Rodney can only stand there completely defenceless and at her mercy as a loud bang reverberated around the small cockpit from where she pulled the trigger all the way back.

The bullet flew from the gun and hit Rodney in the right side. He cried out in pain as he fell down and blood quickly flowed out and soaked his clothes. It stained his uniform almost black as the colours mixed together. The bullet went right through him and ended its very eventful journey embedded in the glass of the windscreen. Rodney's blood also flew out behind him from the exit wound and splattered onto the window.

Neeva turned the gun over to examine it more critically, "Hmm, not so efficient considering I was aiming for your chest."

She looked down at Rodney as he futilely clutched his side to try and stop the bleeding. He had his eyes screwed tightly closed and whimpered in agony as he writhed on the floor. He was lying bent double on his side and a wide dark patch was rapidly spreading out across his back as his blood pooled on the deck underneath him. His uniform darkened further as he rolled into the thick red liquid that had just leaked from him.

Neeva narrowed her eyes coldly and said softly, "You're going to help me get out of this place."

Rodney cracked his pain filled eyes open and looked up at her as she loomed over him dangerously. He furrowed his brow in sadness and Neeva thought she saw something deeper inside him behind his tired blue eyes. She recognized it as the twisting knife of betrayal and knew she could use it against him.

Blood trickled from his mouth which made him cough harshly. He curled up into a tight ball and clamped both of his arms against his stomach as firmly as he could.

Neeva shook her head and angled the gun down at him. She used her foot to kick Rodney in the shoulder and rolled him over. He cried out and flinched as he flopped down to lie flat on his back on the deck, where she needed him to be in order to continue her torment. Neeva kept her steely eyes on his rapidly weakening body to make sure he did not try anything.

He mumbled under his breath, but Neeva could hear him. "Why, Jennifer? Oh oh, I thought you loved me, as I loved you with everything I had? Why did you kill me? I certainly can't fly this thing. Even if you decide not to put me out of this misery now, I don't think I'll ever fly again. What are… Ah, uh!"

Rodney let out a weak cry as Neeva savagely kicked him in the ribs to shut him up. An audible crack rang out in the tiny cockpit. Rodney closed his eyes and shook. Tears of pain and betrayal ran down his face and mingled with the blood from his mouth, which steadily tracked down his cheeks and dripped onto the deck beneath. He kept both of his hands pressed down on his side, but dark red blood was visible in between his fingers.

Neeva planted her foot in the centre of Rodney's chest and leaned some of her weight against his broken ribs. He lifted his trembling and bloody hands away from the gunshot wound and reached up in desperation and pushed them against the heel of her boot. He had no strength left to force the crushing foot away from him and he whimpered again and choked as more blood flowed up his throat.

Rodney furrowed his brow and shut his eyes tightly as he gritted his teeth. He began to wheeze shallow and painful breaths when Neeva pressed her foot down even more heavily on his damaged ribcage.

Suddenly Rodney stopped breathing all together and his arms fell down limply by his sides. Neeva removed her foot and crouched down. She whacked the side of Rodney's face with the butt of the gun she was still holding and said angrily, "Are you going to fly this thing or not?"

Rodney's chest hitched as he managed to restart his breathing naturally but he remained unconscious. Underneath the blood and tears his face was pale and bruised from where Neeva had hit him. His head lolled sideways and his mouth hung open as there was no way he was now going to wake up after Neeva's brutal torture.

She stood up and looked down at him in disgust. She said, sounding annoyed, "Ugh! Dr McKay, you are far too soft for your own good and you were supposed to be my ticket out of here." She glanced around the Jumper and seemed to weigh up the worth of the ship with her eyes and mind, "This vessel would've fetched a high price. Maybe I could've kept it for myself, but now you've gone and ruined all of that."

"Come on!" She kicked him in the side and watched his body jolt under the force of the blow. More blood dribbled out of his mouth and the front of his uniform had a large shiny patch all around the tiny hole in the fabric where the bullet had punched through. He did not even twitch or make any sound. All that Neeva could hear was the unsteady wheeze and rattle of the blood in his lungs and throat as he struggled to keep breathing.

She pointed the gun down at his head, but shrugged and stalked away out of the rear hatch into the Jumper Bay. She tucked the weapon into her trousers and called back to Rodney, who lay sprawled out and unmoving on his back, "You'll be dead before anyone finds you anyway."

* * *

Neeva walked up one of the corridors in Atlantis, looking for her next victim. She still needed to find out what was going on and stared at the ground as she thought about the best way to get out of the strange body and place she had found herself in.

She did not even give a second thought to the people she had hurt as she only thought of exactly who she would choose next. She needed someone who could fly one of the Jumpers, but she had no idea who could unless she asked some pointed questions.

She was still deep in thought when she turned a corner and came face to face with Ronon Dex. She drank in his appearance and he narrowed his eyes at her as she traced a line with her sight up his body. His expression then changed and became neutral as her eyes locked with his.

He said gruffly, "You're up late."

Neeva calculated her reply quickly as she very briefly saw a flicker of flame burning behind Ronon's eyes, before is was gone again. "I was looking for you."

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "Why?"

Neeva gave him her best seductive look and stepped closer. "Because I _need_ you."

She reached forwards and traced her hand over the muscles on his chest. He frowned and quick as a flash he reached up and grabbed her wrist tightly.

He twisted her hand palm upwards and gave it a very quiet but still audible sniff with his nose. He then looked down at her until he reached her feet. He grunted in surprise and before Neeva could grab her own gun, he unholstered his blaster and shot her twice in the chest.

Ronon tapped his radio, "Security team to Central Tower, Level 15."

He reached down and pressed his fingers together on the hem of Neeva's trouser leg, which he had seen just before he shot her. He brought his hand back and narrowed his eyes at his red fingers. He rubbed them together and then sniffed at the liquid. He tasted some of the mystery compound and then narrowed his eyes as he grunted, "Blood. The smell of gunpowder and now blood."

"Ronon to Sheppard."

There was a minute pause before a reply came, "Something's happened. Jennifer's not herself. She smells of gunpowder and there's blood on her clothes."

"_Where are you? Have you seen McKay?"_

Ronon straightened up as the security detail took care of the figure lying on the floor in front of him. He mumbled, "Take her to the brig."

They patted her down first and soon retrieved the gun from her waistband. Ronon was not really surprised and his expression remained neutral as they carried her away.

"I got security to take her to the brig. Haven't seen McKay."

"_Meet me in the Control Room."_

Ronon grunted an affirmative and headed to the nearest transporter.

* * *

With Amelia and Chuck's help, John and Ronon soon found Rodney on one of the earlier video feeds. They tracked him along corridors and through transporters until he went up to the Jumper Bay and stepped through the rear hatch of one of the ships.

John said, "Fast forward it a bit."

Chuck nodded and the tape wound on rapidly. Ronon growled when he saw Jennifer leaving the rear hatch of the Jumper and concealing a gun under her shirt, but Rodney did not follow.

John said, "What did she do to him?"

Fearing the worst, John tapped his radio, "Medical team to the Jumper Bay."

Amelia looked across at them and said, "There's still one life sign showing in the bay."

John nodded at her and then dashed away and up the stairs to the bay with Ronon on his heels.

They soon located the Jumper from the video feed and saw Rodney where he lay unconscious and bleeding on the deck. John drew in a sharp breath in shock and grabbed the med kit from the overhead rack in the rear compartment as he approached his seriously injured friend.

Ronon crouched down opposite John in the cockpit as they took up positions on either side of the stricken scientist. Ronon hastily unzipped the med kit and pulled out bandages as Sheppard checked Rodney's pulse. He baulked a little at the gory trails of blood smeared on the window, but he had seen worse things in his time so focused his attention on Rodney's pale and bruised face.

Ronon eyed McKay critically and soon located the worst injury in amongst all the blood now staining his uniform. He lifted Rodney slightly and pressed a bandage against the exit wound on his back, while Sheppard took another bandage and laid it out on top of Rodney's abdomen.

The medical team soon came into the Jumper and Sheppard relayed what he had observed, "Gunshot to the right side. He's having trouble breathing, pulse is weak and rapid."

Dr McBride and his medical team swarmed in around Rodney and John and Ronon stood back while they worked. They threaded IV lines into Rodney's arms and then cut away his shirt and pressed more bandages against the wounds to his side and back. John saw extensive dark purple and red bruising down the whole of Rodney's chest and left side.

John winced as McBride gently felt Rodney's ribcage with his hands and announced, "He has fractured ribs." He then listened to each side of Rodney's chest with his stethoscope and said grimly, "Probably a punctured lung. I'm going to need to intubate."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the equipment he needed was placed in his outstretched hand. He slid the tube in Rodney's mouth and down his throat into his lungs. One of the medical team started pumping air into his lungs rhythmically while the others rolled McKay over and slid a backboard underneath him. They then lifted him up and away onto the waiting gurney outside in the Jumper Bay.

John watched Rodney being wheeled away and heard McBride as he said into his radio, "Dr McKay has been shot. Please prep the OR. ETA two minutes."

* * *

Jennifer looked across at Rodney as he lay in the bed next to hers in the infirmary a few days later. Her gunshot wound was rapidly healing, but Rodney had taken quite a beating along with being shot by the woman who had taken over her body.

Jennifer hoped he would not be too traumatized to continue loving the woman who he thought had nearly killed him. She furrowed her brow and closed her eyes sadly as her thoughts spiralled down and hope began to abandon her.

She awoke a little later to the sound of a rapidly beeping heart monitor close to her ear. Jennifer snapped her eyes open groggily and it took her a few seconds to localise the source of the sound.

She blinked slowly at Rodney next to her as he looked across at her with terror in his eyes. He curled away from the bed and tried to get up. He placed an arm over his chest and closed his eyes as he started to wheeze painfully.

Jennifer was startled and said, "Rodney! Calm down. It's me. I'm Jennifer Keller. Neeva's gone."

"Neeva?" He gasped, as Carson came over to him quickly. Rodney arched his back in pain just before he fell back down on the bed and hugged his arms across his chest tightly. He snaked one hand down and pressed it against his right side and grimaced.

Carson injected Rodney's IV line and held onto the scientist's shoulders to keep him down as he passed from agony into unconsciousness once more and the tremors wracking his body lessened and finally stopped.

He released Rodney's shoulders and checked the bandages around his torso to make sure his injuries had not started bleeding again.

Carson sighed sadly, but did not find any new signs of external bleeding. He then turned to Jennifer and said quietly, "I think you're ready to leave now, lass. I also think it may be a good idea if you wait until Rodney is a little better before you visit again. I hope this little episode hasn't ruptured any of the internal repair work carried out by Dr McBride a few days ago."

Jennifer nodded in understanding.

A little while later, she dragged her heels as she walked slowly out of the infirmary away from the man she loved who now thought she had betrayed him.

* * *

Jennifer kept to her lab for the next few days and avoided the room where Rodney was recovering. She knew that there was always one member of his team with him to make sure he was never alone as he started to fully wake up.

She frowned at the screen of her laptop and jumped a little as John said behind her, "Knock knock?"

He came into the room anyway without a response and Jennifer turned in her chair to look up at him. He pulled up another chair and sat next to her.

"How're you holding up? Carson says you shouldn't be back at work yet. Not after what happened." He gestured down at her abdomen as he spoke.

Jennifer looked away and said, "It takes my mind off what happened and what _she_ did to Rodney and Radek."

John smiled grimly and then brightened up, "You know, he's been asking for you."

She looked back at him with a confused expression, "What?"

"McKay. He asks about you all the time. I think he wants to know where you are." Sheppard leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows and he spoke quietly, "To tell you the truth, I think he's worried you're having an affair behind his back, while he's, uh, incapacitated."

Jennifer frowned and then asked, "But Neeva shot him! She was me and Rodney nearly died when he saw me the other day! He couldn't stand the sight of me and rolled to get away. He's lucky he didn't tear himself open again."

John shook his head, "We told him what happened and he understands now. You should see him. He's a lot stronger and he probably doesn't even remember what happened the first time he woke up."

Jennifer closed her eyes and grimaced. She mumbled, "I've been so stupid! Oh, Rodney! Now you have even more reason never to forgive me."

John patted her on the shoulder and said, "Hey, less of that. Come on, he was babbling a moment ago and he's already been hounding everyone within earshot for his laptop."

Jennifer followed John into the room she had been avoiding and sat down next to Rodney, who had apparently dozed off again. His colour was better and the dark bruise on his face had faded since Jennifer had last seen him.

She sensed John hovering behind her, but reached forwards and grasped Rodney's hand anyway and gave it a gentle squeeze.

He groaned and opened his eyes to gaze at her. Jennifer held his hand tightly as Rodney's blue eyes snapped open as they met hers and he fully woke up.

She said, "Hey. How're you doing?"

He smiled at her and raised his eyebrows, "All things considered, I now feel better than I did earlier."

John rolled his eyes and leant over to pat Rodney's shoulder. He said, "I'll leave you two kids alone," before he walked away.

Jennifer rubbed her thumb over the back of Rodney's hand and looked down as he gently pressed her hand in return. He asked, "What's wrong?"

"I didn't think you would ever forgive me."

"Why wouldn't I? It wasn't you. It was Neeva." He grimaced and turned away. Jennifer felt a shiver run through his hand.

"What did she do to you?"

Rodney furrowed his brow and said quietly, "What, apart from being shot and kicked, by the woman who looked like the one I love?"

Jennifer took his hand in both of hers and caressed his skin. "I'm so sorry."

Rodney verbally waved her off, "Don't worry about it now. I'm not really ready to talk about it yet, not while it's so fresh and the injuries hurt as much as they do."

Jennifer stood up and placed a hand on the unmarred side of Rodney's face and their eyes locked together. She said seriously, "When you are, I'll be waiting."

Rodney nodded and his eyes drifted closed as he fell asleep again. Jennifer pulled her chair up closer to him and continued to hold his hand as he floated away into his dreams.

* * *

A/N – if you watch Identity again, the rest of the episode could _probably_ play out normally even with McKay out of the picture (after all, it was Ronon who deactivated the device in the end).


	37. Thunderclap

_A/N – Massive thanks to **debbie418uk2** for very kindly doing a medical beta read of this and for the info! Also, to _ _**RodneyIsGodney** _ _for this little plot bunny…_

**Thunderclap**

"This is incredible!" Rodney remarked with an incredulous smile.

"What is it, McKay?" John asked from a short distance away on the roof of a large domed building on planet M8R-102.

"The Ancients found a way to harness the electrical energy from lightning to power this entire facility." Rodney waved his hand at the tall pillars around the control panel he was working on, "The energy is drawn to the conductors and channelled into storage tanks below us."

Teyla was looking up at the dark clouds gathering overhead and stated, "This planet is known for its ferocious storms."

Rodney glanced up at the ominous weather with wide eyes and grimaced, "We really don't want to be here anymore. I've got all the data I need for analysis later. The survey team said the storm rolling in will last for several weeks. Plenty of time for us to check over the data before we come back."

Ronon shrugged, "Okay then, let's go."

The team staggered down the sloping roof of the dome and Rodney landed his feet more heavily than was necessary as he leant right back to keep his balance.

He was studying some readings on his tablet and not really paying any attention to his surroundings when they reached the edge of the roof. John had to grab the distracted scientist's shoulders to keep him from wandering over the drop.

John waved a hand at the tablet and looked into Rodney's pale and fearful face. "What's up?"

"The storm's coming in much faster than we predicted."

Ronon gazed indifferently over the edge of the roof and said, "The Jumper can take it, right?"

Rodney frowned and wrapped his free arm over his chest, "In as much as someone can survive being jolted by ten thousand volts? Oh, yes, sure."

"McKay…" John warned, "You said it would be fine, even if we were a bit slow leaving."

"Well, things have changed. The storm's not only gathering speed, but it's grown in intensity since our wonderfully observant survey team were here. I think the shields should hold long enough for us to reach the gate."

John frowned in anger, "You _think_ ?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and gave him a sour look as he tucked the computer into the back of his tac vest. He turned around and very deliberately placed his feet on the top rungs of the ladder as he slowly followed Ronon and Teyla back down to the Jumper on the ground far below. John glanced up at the sky for a moment and went over the edge, being careful not to step on Rodney's fingers or kick him as the scientist took a little too long to climb down.

Suddenly a massive burst of light exploded above the planet and a few seconds later there was a rumble of thunder so loud Rodney flinched and closed his eyes. None of them could take their hands from the ladder without falling, so had to endure the noise without protection.

Halfway down ,it started to rain. Gently at first, but it soon intensified to a point where it was like a waterfall coming down from the clouds.

Rodney sighed and puffed water out of his mouth indignantly, "Oh, this just gets better and better!"

A twisted fork of white and blue, accentuated by the darkness, briefly flashed across the black clouds. Almost instantly an ear-splitting clap of crackling electricity rolled over the surface of the planet and vibrations ran through the ladder from the loudness of the sound.

The rungs of the ladder were slippery and treacherous. Rodney slowed down even more as he blinked through the water clouding his vision and stinging his eyes.

They were fairly close to the ground when Rodney's foot slipped right off the rung where he had just planted it. He yelped as his hands tightened on the bar and he held onto for dear life as his arms were wrenched. He swung against the ladder and hung there momentarily until his dangling foot found purchase and supported him once more. He stayed like that for a while and closed his eyes as he panted through his fright. Water ran in torrents over him and he shivered as it drenched him to the skin.

John was getting impatient above him and called out above the noise of the pounding rain. "Hurry it up, McKay! We need to get out of here!"

His last words were drowned out by the brightest and loudest bolt of lightning so far. Rodney winced as he slowly and gingerly continued to climb down to the ground where Teyla and Ronon were already waiting for them.

Ronon caught Rodney as he slipped right off the third rung up and fell. Ronon lost his breath for a few seconds when a tumbling and soaked scientist ploughed into his chest before McKay collapsed, gasping in panic, onto his knees.

Ronon shook his head and grabbed Rodney under one of his arms and tugged him upright. McKay said indignantly, "Hey, dislocated shoulders here!"

They started to walk across the tarmac over towards the Jumper parked a short distance away.

John smirked and said sarcastically, "You know, McKay, you were so slow getting down the ladder, I'm now asleep. Would've been quicker for us to toss you off right from the top and have Ronon catch you."

"Oh, ha ha, Colonel. Just because I can't climb like a cat…"

Ronon chuckled, "Maybe we should've left him up there and picked him up on the way out."

Rodney folded his arms over his chest and lifted his dripping chin, "You would've found nothing but a char grill up there," he shuddered. "The lightning's already started to be drawn to the conductors, so, uh, thanks for the concern, as usual." He looked down at his feet sadly at the end and rubbed his hands across the rivers of water tracking down his face and running under his clothes.

John patted his back and smiled, "We're just kidding around, Rodney."

They walked into the Jumper as Sheppard opened the hatch for them with his remote.

Rodney sat down heavily in the co-pilot's chair while the others took their seats around him. Water was being wrung out of his trousers from the pressure as he sat on them and it dripped down onto the deck underneath.

He sighed as he pulled off his waterlogged boots and drained them out onto the floor. His socks squelched wetly as he wriggled his toes and muttered, "Trench foot. Ugh, we should've worn wet suits."

"Where's the fun in that?" Ronon said with a brief grin. His dreadlocks had absorbed an uncanny amount of water and he was smiling as he ignored them despite their heaviness and the stream of water cascading from the ends of each one.

John powered up the systems and raised the shields up to maximum. He glanced across at Rodney who had started to work at his socks as they stubbornly clung to his ankles and feet.

He furrowed his brow in exasperation and sniffed loudly, "Can anyone else smell anything?"

Rodney ceased in the process of having one sock half peeled off and waited for a reply.

John wrinkled his nose and did not look at Rodney as he continued, "It's a bit cheesy in here."

Rodney huffed out an angry sigh and placed his foot down on the deck with both socks still on. He pressed the controls in front of him and grimaced, "The storm system is massive. It'll take weeks before it's passed over where we are. We need to leave now."

"What about the shields?" Teyla asked, "Will they protect us?"

"I don't know. I'll need to monitor them and reroute power as and when necessary."

John nodded as Rodney got up and squished and dripped on his way into the rear compartment. He reached up with a heavy arm as his drenched sleeve dragged it down and made it hard to move. A shiver rolled through his body again as he plugged his tablet into the crystal tray.

He swapped a few around and then called out, "We're good to go. Keep the shields up to maximum."

John tilted his head to the side and said, "Right, because flying without shields in a storm's a really good idea."

Rodney ignored his comment and said, "The shields will only be able to absorb a few impacts, so fly as quickly as possible."

John piloted the Jumper off the ground and up towards the dull clouds as rain hammered against the shields.

The first strike happened very soon after. The interior of the craft was bathed in a blinding white light while simultaneously a massive bang reverberated all around the craft and set the occupants on edge.

The inertial dampeners faltered for a moment and Rodney leant over and grabbed the edge of the bench to keep himself upright.

Barely two seconds later, another impact crashed against the shields and the lights in the craft dimmed for a few seconds as Rodney frantically rerouted crystals and diverted power. He called out, "I said a few hits, Colonel. Not one every five seconds!"

To illustrate his point, the storm threw another bolt of energy at the tiny Puddle Jumper and Rodney was forced into the wall in the rear compartment with a pained hiss. His body twisted as he regained his balance and he patted one hand against his damp clothes with a wet slapping sound as he checked for bruises. He grimaced and reached up to carry on looking for more power to cannibalise into the shield circuits.

He sighed and moved a few more crystals around.

John said back to him, "We're nearly clear. Just a few more seconds."

Before he uttered 'seconds' the largest bolt of lightning so far impacted the Jumper and tore through the failing shields. It passed through the rear compartment and electrified the crystal tray as Rodney still had his damp hands buried deeply into the guts of the ship.

He cried out briefly as the energy which had not been dissipated by the shields passed into his hands and right through his body. It went out of his feet to continue its journey to earth as it left the Jumper.

McKay's shocked and pained cry was abruptly cut short in a yelp when the lightning found his heart. He was thrown backwards into the wall in the rear compartment and crumpled down bonelessly onto the deck as his clothes smouldered and the rainwater steamed off into the air.

John turned around, looked at him briefly and muttered, "Oh, crap! Rodney!"

He flew the Jumper up and above the clouds and pushed it to go faster towards the gate in orbit while he spoke, "Ronon, Teyla. You remember that first aid course you did?"

They both nodded and understood. They quickly went into the rear compartment and carefully rolled Rodney onto his back from where he had landed curled up on the floor against the bench.

Teyla knelt down and carefully tilted Rodney's head back. She checked his mouth before she glanced down his chest. She said calmly, "He's not breathing."

Ronon hastily unzipped Rodney's tac vest and clasped his hands as he laid them over McKay's heart and started compressions.

Ronon frowned after he had finished counting and he turned to Teyla and said, "You can do it."

Teyla pursed her lips and nodded.

She steeled herself and hesitated only briefly before she clamped her lips over Rodney's and held his nose as she blew air into his inactive lungs.

Teyla had just finished her second breath and was watching Rodney's chest falling when John called back to them, "ETA one minute, hang on Rodney!"

He dialled up the gate while Ronon did more compressions on McKay's chest. The Satedan shook his hair out of the way as it dripped down onto Rodney's pale skin.

John dialled the gate and said into the radio, "We've got a medical emergency. Rodney's been electrocuted and I think his heart's stopped. Teyla and Ronon are doing CPR, but he's not responding."

Teyla nodded and leant forwards to force two more breaths into Rodney.

Dr Weir answered in a clipped and worried voice,_ "Acknowledged. The medical team are on their way to the Jumper Bay."_

----------

The medical team, led by Carson, swarmed into the Jumper the moment it touched down and John opened the rear hatch.

"Oh my," Carson exclaimed when he saw the scene before him, "Rodney got himself a nasty jolt?"

Teyla nodded as the medical team took over from her and Ronon and placed a mask over Rodney's mouth and nose. One of them squeezed a bag rhythmically to push air into his lungs, while Carson tried to find a pulse on Rodney's neck.

John, Teyla and Ronon could only look on from the cockpit as Carson's face remained intense with concentration and concern.

Carson narrowed his eyes and suddenly he smiled, "Aye, that's it laddie! Let's get him to the infirmary."

The medical team transferred Rodney onto the waiting gurney and bound his bleeding and burnt hands, arms and feet as they wheeled him away.

John released a long built up breath in a sigh of relief at Carson's announcement as he followed the medical team out of the Jumper with Teyla and Ronon.

----------

"Um, my chest hurts," Rodney muttered indignantly as he bumped his thickly bandaged hands against himself.

Ronon, Teyla and John were gathered around him while Carson monitored the scientist in the infirmary after his recent ordeal.

Ronon looked away guiltily and Teyla set her lips in a thin line as she said, "A broken rib and cracked breastbone are better than not being with us at all, Rodney."

McKay's eyes widened in fear and he looked down at his wrapped hands and arms as he stopped moving them, "Oh! I really was dead wasn't I?"

John nodded, "We should know a little thing like death could never stop someone as stubborn an ass as you are, McKay."

Rodney furrowed his brow and his breath hitched as he drew in a shaky and painful breath, "Why am I _not_ dead?"

John gave him a lopsided grin, "Teyla and Ronon here kept you going while we made our way back."

McKay rested his burnt hands over his chest protectively and sighed sadly, "I don't ever want to know which one of you did the breathing thing. But, uh, thanks."

Ronon patted his shoulder and smiled at him, "It's alright, McKay. Just don't do it again."

Teyla smiled across at Rodney in gladness.

John grinned at McKay, glanced up at his hair and waved a hand at him, "I have to admit, it _was_ an interesting change of hairstyle and your ears were smoking!"

Rodney scowled at him and winced when he unsuccessfully tried to move his damaged hands up to check his hair.

After a while of sitting in silence, Rodney asked in a small voice, "Um, don't suppose I could have my laptop?"

John raised his eyebrows and gave a pointed look at Rodney's useless hands, "And do what?"

"Oh," McKay uttered and furrowed his brow as he glanced at the bandages. "What about eating and, uh, uh, the _other_ thing…"

John smirked, "You'll just have to make sure you don't upset Carson too much, McKay…"

Rodney grimaced and lowered his hands down by his sides as he closed his eyes.

The team stayed with him for while longer until Carson came over and made them leave his patient alone to rest.

-----------

_A/N – I also know **RodneyIsGodney** is a huge fan of wet!McKay (and who isn't?!) so that was for her too…_


	38. Fire and Ice

Disclaimer – As always

A/N – Thanks to **Sandy Toes** for the coax to make me to finally write this one. I've had a very similar idea in mind for a while now, but I just needed that little extra _push_…

**Fire and Ice**

The Jumper soared above the mountain range on P9U-175. The snow-capped peaks gave way to valleys filled with slowly creeping glaciers.

Rodney sighed as he took in the spectacle and then returned his gaze to the computer laid out on his lap. He shook his head, "There's nothing here, unless you're a fan of landscape photography."

John pointed at an enormous glacier as he hovered the Jumper a short distance away, "Or a Geographer."

"Hmm," Rodney continued to type on his computer, "Well, we've got some readings for them to analyse before we send out another team. If I can find anyone who's interested enough in this stuff."

John smirked, "Just because it's not tech and you can't make it work for you…"

Rodney snapped, "Oh, yes, because who would want to study the movement of ice. _Really_ useful…"

John shrugged, "Could be. Seeing what might happen on Earth in the future."

Rodney scowled at him until he saw that Sheppard was laughing, "We should stop off and do some skiing."

Rodney looked horrified and quickly returned his gaze to the tablet before Sheppard got anymore 'ideas.' He typed on the screen and suddenly he narrowed his eyes and uttered, "Oh."

John was flying the Jumper in between the mountains and enjoying himself as he viewed the breathtaking sweeping mountain sides and beauty of the landscape. He turned to Rodney and asked, "What?"

McKay looked across at him nervously, "There's a build up thermal energy underground inside several of the mountains."

The Jumper had sensed Sheppard's hesitation and sudden doubt and it was hovering close to the ground near the summit of one of the mountains.

Rodney's eyes tracked feverishly along the lines of text and flashing red lights which had now appeared on his tablet. He cried, "Get us out of here!"

John shifted in his seat and tensed as he spun the Jumper around and started to fly it away from the mountains.

He was too slow though and the nearest mountain suddenly exploded.

The inertial dampeners saved the occupants from being thrown as the innocent looking mountain turned into an active volcano and blasted fragments of burning hot ash and rock sideways into the craft.

The hull of the Jumper smoked and dents crushed the metal as the ash started to erode through. Sheppard shouted at McKay, "Shields?!" as he tried and failed to initialise them.

Rodney typed away very quickly and tried to avoid looking out of the windscreen where the only thing visible was a cloud of hot debris and dust as the Jumper was buffeted to the side while John tried to regain control.

He said in a squeaky and frightened voice, "The emitters are too badly damaged!"

"And the engines? I can't gain any altitude to get us away."

Rodney frowned at the tablet, "No. The ash has completely clogged them up. We're going to crash!"

John shook his head, "What _can_ you give me?"

Rodney grimaced as the heat began to melt through the hull and the temperature inside the Jumper rapidly rose. His hands were frantic as he desperately tried to reroute the systems. He got out of his seat and ran into the rear compartment.

He pulled down the crystal tray and coughed as he inhaled some boiling ashes that had seeped in through a hull breach. He swapped a few of them around, but all the systems were too badly damaged and he could not find anywhere to route the power. A large hole suddenly formed in the rear hatch and molten rocks pelted him.

Rodney cried out as they burned through his clothes and ignited some of the material.

John was fighting to control the Jumper as it continued to spin down and out of control towards the ground in one of the valleys. He landed it heavily and was pleased to note that they were now out of the ash cloud. As soon as he touched down, the power completely cut out.

The pained sounds coming from the rear compartment galvanised him into action. He dashed through the central bulkhead and found Rodney writhing on the deck as the volcanic rocks and ash continued to burn him where they had worked their way through and under his clothes.

John rapidly helped him strip out of the smoking material and burnt his own hands a few times when he came across some red hot debris. Rodney gritted his teeth and tried to stay still to help Sheppard while he worked.

John tossed the clothes into a pile near the rear hatch and brushed off one of the benches so that Rodney could sit down. He critically examined Rodney's trembling form and located the worst of the burns and bruising, but it was difficult as there were so many red and sore bleeding patches all over his body.

He used water to clean the dirt from Rodney's raw skin and used some special burns bandages from the med kit to bind up as much of Rodney as he could.

McKay grimaced and furrowed his brow as Sheppard gently wound a bandage all the way around his abdomen and tracked it up to cover his chest.

John gave him a lopsided smile and said, "Hey, you look like a mummy."

Rodney looked down at himself and tried to laugh when he saw that all his limbs and most of his torso were swathed and covered in white bandages. He flinched violently and cried out as his burnt skin stretched. He turned his watering eyes to look out of the window in the cockpit and suddenly he asked in panic, "Uh, can this Jumper still fly?" His voice was hoarse and weak, like he had a really bad sore throat.

John narrowed his eyes at Rodney as he tucked the end of the bandage in just beneath McKay's throat. He handed Rodney a jumpsuit and said, "See if you can get into that, save my eyes…"

Rodney shot him an indignant and hurt look. He then slowly and carefully stood up to try and pull the garment on. John left him to it and went back into the cockpit.

He quickly saw what had sent McKay into panic. They had landed in the path of a glacier. The huge brown and white mass was a few miles ahead of them, but the volcano that had exploded was right above the valley. There was a steadily creeping lava flow trickling out of the new crater as it made its way inexorably towards the frozen water. A billowing cloud of ashes was streaming out of the top of the mountain and up into the atmosphere in a huge dark column. Rocks were raining down ahead of the cloud like missiles.

After a lot of hissed curses, Rodney finally managed to pull on the jumpsuit and joined Sheppard in the cockpit. His scorched face was red raw in some places and John grabbed some more bandages and cleaned the wounds before he considered wrapping Rodney's entire head in bandages. He muttered, "Uhm…" as he held the final roll of gauze and looked at the blood leaking out of the burns and tracking down Rodney's pain lined face.

"Oh, give it here!" McKay croaked, as he grabbed the roll out of John's hand and proceeded to do exactly as Sheppard had thought. He wrapped the bandage around his head and left tiny gaps so that he could still breathe, see and open his mouth.

John shook his head and muttered, "The mummy…" as he focused his attention back on getting the Jumper to power up before they were overwhelmed by floodwater when the lava melted the glacier.

Rodney elected to remain standing so that he did not have to press his burns against the chair. He slowly shuffled into the rear compartment to minimise movement, but it still made him tremble in agony. He coughed harshly and winced as his chest rattled.

John frowned in concern, "Hey, Rodney, you didn't breathe in any of that crap, did you?"

Rodney wheezed a little as he drew in a deep and shaky breath. He said in a breathless whisper, "Maybe, a little bit."

John's eyes widened, "Okay, well…" he got up and pulled the oxygen tank and mask out of the med kit and placed them on the bench next to McKay who was painfully reaching up and studying the crystal tray. He said to the well wrapped scientist, "If it gets too much, take a drag on that."

Rodney nodded gratefully and returned to his work as John went back into the cockpit.

----------

Rodney sucked a noisy breath through the mask and closed his eyes as he placed it over his face. He lowered his hand, but kept hold of the mask as he prodded the crystal tray with his other hand. The lava was now dangerously close to the top of the glacier in the distance and Sheppard had so far only been able to bring up the HUD briefly before it flickered off again.

Rodney rasped fearfully, "I told you already, the engines are full of ash and…" he broke off in a coughing fit and dropped the oxygen mask as he struggled to draw breath.

John gave up on trying to boot up the unresponsive systems and ran over to Rodney, just as he crumpled down onto his knees and pitched over to the side.

John only just caught him in time and supported him so that he remained sitting upright with his arm around Rodney's shoulders. McKay's breathing was shallow and laboured and his brow was furrowed as his chest rattled painfully. John grabbed the oxygen mask from the floor and held it over Rodney's bandaged face until his breathing slowed and evened out a little.

McKay opened his eyes after a few seconds and spoke through the mask in a painful wheeze, "I can't find anymore power. Everything's too badly damaged. We're not due back… for a few hours so no-one's… coming to rescue us. We're going to die."

John frowned at him as he closed his eyes in resignation, "No we're not, McKay."

Rodney laughed and shook as his burnt lungs reminded him of the damage, even though he had the oxygen mask on. His voice cracked as he spoke, "Unless _you_ can fix it, Colonel. Last time I checked, I was the genius… and you were the flyboy."

John smirked, "Maybe… what about the shields?"

Rodney tilted his head back as John continued to use his arm to hold him in a sitting position on the deck. He reached up and replaced John's hand over the oxygen mask. With Sheppard's help, he stood up onto unstable legs and used his tablet to check the systems.

He sighed, which sent him into another bout of choking which soon had him doubled over in agony. John had to rescue the oxygen mask once again and clamped it over Rodney's face. He strapped the band of the mask over the back of Rodney's head and grimaced when he saw that blood was now visible on Rodney's lips and inside the mask.

He asked incredulously, "Seriously, how much did you inhale?"

Rodney was weakening as he struggled to breathe and grated out, "I don't know. A good lungful?"

"The shields?"

Rodney closed his eyes and straightened up. He looked at the tablet and mumbled, "There's one emitter… active, but barely."

"Can you use it to protect the Jumper?"

"You're kidding, right?" Rodney's chest hitched as he inhaled a slow breath, "It certainly won't stop us… from drowning or freezing in the meltwater… which is imminent and inevitable."

He looked off to the side and said sadly, "I wonder whether we'll die… of hypothermia or drown first, hmm…"

John frowned, "There must be something we can use!"

Rodney rested a hand against his chest as he steeled himself and spluttered as he tried not to choke again. John grasped his shoulder and suddenly an idea came to him, "What about the drones?"

Rodney narrowed his eyes at him as he leant forwards again, "Blow it up? You military types are… all the same."

"No, the power supply, McKay!"

"Oh, yes." Rodney's eyes suddenly sparkled beneath the bandages and his voice became quieter and scratchier as he spoke, "Not enough to fix the engines, but if I can interface them… with the shield system, we may be able to ride it out until… Atlantis realises we're late for our dial in."

John guided him to sit down before he fell and patted his back gently as Rodney hunched over and closed his eyes.

The lava hit the top of the glacier and was slowed by the sudden cooling influence it came across. Steam billowed and hissed into the atmosphere, but most of the ice melted and flowed out from the front of the glacier in a river that grew in size with every passing second.

Sheppard pulled up the deck plating and helped Rodney remove the tiny batteries from inside each drone. McKay hastily connected them together and plugged them into the control crystal tray.

The water reached the Jumper and was soon lapping around their feet as it leaked in through the many hull breaches. Both men shivered violently as the freezing water soaked their shoes and the cold crept up their legs.

Rodney was still standing up and hunched his shoulders in the cold as he mumbled, "At least I can't feel the… burns on my legs anymore." His hands shook so much he could barely keep them still enough to type on his tablet and complete the rerouting program he was writing.

Rodney's teeth chattered together and his panting breaths were now audibly grating in his damaged lungs. He choked and furrowed his brow as more blood came from his mouth into the mask. He lifted it away from his face and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. He stopped moving and his frightened eyes widened in shock when he saw how red and bright the blood was on his hand. He turned to Sheppard and held up his hand in fear, "Oh, that's not so good. I'm probably going to… die before we're rescued anyway, aren't I?"

John set his expression and pressed his lips in a grim line, "Just get the shield working, McKay."

Rodney gently lowered the mask over his face again and grimaced as the chilly numbness reached his knees and he sank down onto the bench. Sheppard joined him and they both trembled in the deepening icy water leaking into the craft.

McKay's eyes drifted closed and John shook his shoulder to wake him, "Come on, Rodney! You can sleep later."

He steeled himself again and gasped short snatches of air into his lungs in the cold and agony of his abused chest. He screwed up his face so that he could barely see through his squinted eyes as he finished the program and hit the 'Enter' key.

The water stopped rising, but it remained inside the Jumper. Rodney sighed through his burnt airway in relief but his whole body was shaking and John was also trying not the shiver in the cold.

McKay listed over to one side and threatened to fall off the bench and go under the water, which was lapping dangerously close to the top of the seat. John held Rodney's shoulders and stood up to guide him down onto his side as he laid him out on the bench.

He looked out of the front windscreen and saw that the water level was now visibly rising. It soon went above the top of the screen and it suddenly got very dark inside the Jumper.

John grabbed some torches and placed them around the rear compartment. His breath was coming in shivering pants, which misted in front of his face, as his legs and feet felt like he was hauling blocks of ice around. He grabbed some blankets and removed Rodney's shoes and cut away the soaked portion of his jumpsuit. He wrapped the injured scientist up in all of the blankets and then he went over and sat on the other bench. He drew his legs out of the water and laid back himself as he waited for the rescue they were relying on for their survival.

He fought for as long as he could, but his eyes soon drifted closed and he passed out in the cold air inside the Jumper.

----------

Carson stood between Rodney and John's beds in the infirmary as he spoke to Teyla and Ronon. He said slightly angrily, "Both of them damn nearly died. Rodney from his burns and severely burnt lungs and John from hypothermia as his stubborn nature won through. He helped Rodney, but not himself in the cold."

Teyla looked at both men. Rodney had an oxygen mask over his face and many bandages covered his body to protect his skin while the burns healed. She saw that his eyes were open narrowly as he peeked out from beneath the bandages over his face, but he did not try to speak. John and Rodney both had thick blankets over them to counteract the extreme cold they had endured while awaiting rescue.

She said, "Thank you, Dr Beckett. It is a shame we were not there to help them."

Carson shook his head, "Aye, Lass, but then I would now have four patients to care for."

Ronon nodded as he walked away and then pulled up a chair and sat in between the beds with Teyla.

Rodney twitched and shivered and then suddenly his eyes snapped wide open. Teyla gently took hold of his bandaged hand and asked quietly, "How are you feeling?"

Rodney laid his other hand over his chest and furrowed his brow. His voice was hoarse and painful to listen to as it echoed dully in the oxygen mask, "Like my chest is full of acid."

Teyla frowned and squeezed his hand, "You did well, Rodney. We came back from the mainland and were able to join the rescue party."

Ronon nodded, "Used that shield trick Zelenka worked out."

Rodney's eyes drifted closed and he whispered harshly, "Hope you got some good photos…"

John was listening from the next bed over and said offhand, "Well, we can always go back and check it out. See if there have been any more minor explosions since we left."

Rodney took a shallow breath to minimise his pain and said in an incredulous, but weak voice, "Minor?"

Ronon patted his leg and said, "I expect our rescue Jumper logs are intact, McKay. Looked like half the range had gone up before we pulled you out."

Rodney's eyes were fully closed and he muttered a sleepy, "Oh…" before he fell asleep again.

John had his head turned and joined the others as they watched and waited for Rodney to get better. He did not really need to still be in the bed, but Carson had not forced him to leave yet.

----------

A/N – Next up, **'The Black Swan'**


	39. The Black Swan

Disclaimer – Whatever

_A/N – Is this just a rather popular name for a pub or something far more sinister?_

**The Black Swan**

"Why don't we name the Puddle Jumpers?" Sheppard asked from the pilot's chair of Jumper Nine.

Rodney frowned and continued to type on his tablet while he answered offhand, "What like Larry or Sylvia or something."

"No, McKay. It'd be better if they had individual names, something like 'The Black Swan' or 'Dragonfly,'" Sheppard answered in a dreamy voice.

Rodney looked up from his computer and gazed at the control console, "The Jumpers are neither black nor do they have wings."

John's face fell and he mumbled, "Just thought it'd be nice, McKay."

Rodney narrowed his eyes and shook his head as he resumed typing, "Well, what about 'The Cockroach' or 'The Ladybird' for the team that's all chicks?"

John laughed a little and replied, "Hmm, perhaps not…"

Ronon and Teyla looked on and Teyla shook her head in exasperation.

"So, what's so great about this place?" Ronon asked as the Jumper swooped down low over a barren and rocky wasteland. The three suns were bright and harshly illuminated the dust and bleak flatness of the plane in front of them.

John said, "Apparently there's an Ancient outpost here."

Rodney looked up from his tablet and scowled, "_Apparently_…" He rolled his eyes and sighed, "Bring up the HUD, please."

John did as he asked and honed it in on a structure they were rapidly approaching. He uttered a quiet, "Oh."

"'Oh,' indeed, Colonel. As far as my scans can tell, it was used by the Ancients for construction."

John frowned and narrowed his eyes. The Jumper sensed his curiosity and zoomed in further on the image. The scan went through the wall of the facility and showed the rectangular outline of an object resting inside the building. "What's that?"

Rodney smiled, "I have an idea, but we'll find out for sure in a minute."

----------

John parked the Jumper in the bay they found in the top of the building. The structure itself was badly damaged and Rodney's face fell and he furrowed his brow, as the true extent became known to him.

"It's only this bay left. The whole facility is a total loss, buried my ten thousand years of dust and rock erosion."

Teyla shared his sadness and glanced out of the window at the black object they had seen on the HUD earlier. She pointed at it and asked, "Is that another Puddle Jumper?"

Rodney's mood lightened when he looked up from the readings on his computer and he answered, "Yes."

John lowered the rear hatch, "Let's go and check it out."

They all stepped out of the craft and the other three protected Rodney as he obliviously walked over to the other Jumper with his eyes glued on the screen of his computer.

He stopped when he reached the rear hatch of the black Jumper.

John smirked at him, "Now that's 'The Black Swan'"

"I still can't see any wings, Colonel."

John shrugged, "Can you open it?"

"Only if you stop trying to name it."

Teyla asked, "What would you rather call it, Rodney?"

He ignored her question as he typed on his computer and he suddenly released an, "Ah ha!" and the rear hatch opened.

John quickly stepped up in front of him as Rodney, in his eagerness to get inside the craft, had to stop in his tracks with an indignant huff.

Ronon shoved past McKay while Teyla waited behind him. Ronon glanced around the rear compartment and mumbled, "Looks a little complicated."

Rodney rolled his eyes, "Oh, please," and pushed Ronon out of the way to get inside. He quickly walked around the obvious additions jutting out into the rear compartment and went into the cockpit. He thumped down in the dusty co-pilot's chair and stretched a lead out of his tablet to interface with the control panel.

John was still looking around the inside of the craft in awe. From the outside it had appeared to be just like the standard Jumpers from Atlantis, but inside it was vastly different.

The benches in the rear compartment had been replaced by waist high control consoles. The overhead storage racks were also missing; instead there were solid bulkheads on each side. There were two large pieces of equipment built into the side of the interior, which the team had to step around to get to the cockpit.

John narrowed his eyes at the familiarity of one of the added extras, "Is that…?"

"A hyperdrive? Yes!" Rodney was grinning and further dust was being disturbed by his enthusiastic movements as he waved his hand down at the control console in front of him.

He continued with a happy expression, "There's still power. According to the data, this Jumper's got four drive pods, hull armour…" his voice sped up as he got more excited, "…a tractor beam, particle beam weapons… and I've only accessed _some_ of the systems installed."

"Pretty souped up, huh?"

"You could say that. This Jumper is faster, stronger and more powerful than anything we've ever found before."

John narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "So, what's the catch?"

Rodney shook his head, "I can't see anything wrong with it."

Teyla also felt that it was a little too good to be true, "Why did the Ancestors leave such a powerful vessel behind?"

Ronon mumbled, "It's odd that it's the only thing left and it's got power."

Rodney pinched his face in anger, "You're all just trying to ruin it for me."

John said, "No, we're not, McKay."

Rodney ground his teeth as he turned back to the front of the Jumper, "Can you activate it for me?"

John reluctantly stepped into the cockpit, but did not sit down, "How do you know it hasn't been rigged to explode as soon as it's activated?"

Rodney snapped, "What do you think I've been doing!? There's nothing wrong with it!"

John shook his head and sighed, "It must be some kind of prototype, so how can you possibly know that everything you're reading is 'normal?'"

Rodney was too stubborn to give in, "If you don't do it, I will."

Teyla stepped forward, "Rodney, would it not be wiser to analyse the data in more depth and send back a full science team?"

Rodney flinched at her choice of words and mumbled a drawn out, "No."

John shrugged, "Alright, if you say it's safe."

"I do."

John sat in the pilot's chair and powered up the systems. The lights inside the Jumper came on brightly and two blue bars ran from the window through the DHD and along underneath the deck. He said with a smirk, "The Ancient version of 'go faster stripes?'" as he admired the interior lighting.

Rodney scowled, "Not really. They're power conduits."

Ronon and Teyla sat down in the seats behind them and watched as John and Rodney worked.

After a few minutes Rodney said, "How about we take it out for a spin?"

John narrowed his eyes, but shrugged, "Okay, where to?" He brought up the HUD.

"Nothing too complex at first. Fly low over the ground in a loop around here." Rodney pointed to one of the few features in the landscape outside. "Maybe, we could fly this one back to Atlantis and pick up the other one later?"

John piloted the black Jumper off the ground and out of the open bay door above. "Maybe…"

While they were flying over the ground at a speed much faster than the Jumpers could usually go, Rodney spun his tablet around with a grin to show the others, "Check it out!"

It was a schematic of the Jumper with all four engine pods out. They fanned away from the hull in a diamond shape and the display was alive with activity as the blue conduits pulsed to show the power distribution grid.

One area of the diagram at the front of the black Jumper was particularly bright and Ronon asked, "What's that part?"

Rodney glanced at the display and said, "Beam weapons."

"What like the Asgard ones?" John asked.

"Without a test, I'm not sure of their exact yield and power."

John smirked, "How about we give this planet some more interesting rock formations?"

"Now who's being cocky?" Rodney asked with a knowing smile. He quickly added more seriously, "Be careful though, the interface is close to another system I have yet to identify."

John shrugged as he turned the black Jumper around and headed back towards the outpost in the distance. He guided it along so quickly the ground whipped past in a blur. He took careful aim and concentrated on the new beam weapon system.

Rodney watched his tablet as he eagerly awaited the new data he was about to receive from the test.

A sudden power surge flashed across his screen; at the same time a bright light washed through the interior of the Jumper. Rodney asked in a panicked and squeaky voice, "What the hell was that?"

He looked up from his computer and his eyes widened when he realised he was now alone in the Jumper. He wondered who was flying the Jumper and his question was quickly answered when it ploughed into the very solid ground at the blinding and impossible speed it had accumulated.

"_No-one."_

----------

Rodney opened his eyes and found that he was lying on his back in an unfamiliar setting. He gazed up at the ceiling overhead and wondered where he was and how he had got there. An angry flare of pain stabbed at his temple and Rodney groaned as he clutched his pounding head.

A tickle in the back of his throat had him coughing and soon he was gasping for breath. He rolled over onto his side as he continued to choke and spat blood out onto the deck. He winced as a searing pain shot up his lower right leg and he rolled down to lie flat again.

"The Black Swan…" he mumbled weakly as he remembered. He turned his aching head slowly and saw that he had been thrown out of his seat during the crash and had ended up on the floor in the rear compartment. He tried to sit up, but sharp pains in his head, leg and chest prevented him from getting very far.

He clenched his teeth and hugged his arms around his battered ribcage to try and soothe the pain away. Once he was able to open his eyes again, Rodney looked down at himself and sighed when he saw that his right foot was bent at an unnatural angle.

He hissed through gritted teeth and he used his arms to shift and drag himself backwards into the cockpit. He muttered, "Broken and dislocated ankle… where the hell did Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon go? Stupid Jumper, even with all this stuff it still can't avoid crashing."

He continued to ramble about the uselessness of the black Jumper and used his anger to focus his strength and block out as much of the pain as possible.

He was whimpering by the time his back hit the DHD in the cockpit. He spotted his tablet on the floor under the pilot's chair and reached across with a trembling hand to retrieve it.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes when he had completed the manoeuvre. He then caught sight of his mangled leg again and grimaced as fresh waves of pain radiated from the injury now that he had seen it again.

Rodney drew in as deep a breath as he could and tapped on the tablet. He tried to find the source of the malfunction or system that had been accidentally activated. He soon localised it and choked as more blood caught in his throat.

Every savage hack set his chest on fire and he nearly passed out. When Rodney's vision came back, he found that he was lying on his side on the floor and the tablet had slipped out of his fingers as he curled his hands against the centre of his chest.

He reached over and grabbed it as he knew he did not have very much time left before he fell unconscious. Waves of nausea were rolling over him from the unrelenting pain he was experiencing.

He gazed tiredly at the schematic again and soon found the cause of the problem, "Ejector beam out. Oh, yes, _really_ useful… if it actually remembered to beam _everyone_ out!"

He shivered and attempted to reverse the beam. He could see three life signs a fair distance away from the crash site and he narrowed the beam to pick them up and rematerialize everything back into the rear compartment.

Rodney's eyes began to close involuntarily and the last thing he did before he passed out was press the rematerialize control. A blinding white light punched through his sealed eyelids and he fell into darkness.

----------

John, Teyla and Ronon were quite happily sitting in their seats in the Jumper with Rodney as it whipped through the air at an adrenaline inducing speed.

The moment John activated the beam weapons, he felt himself being pulled backwards in a mist of stars. When the light dissipated he fell down and landed heavily on the rocky ground.

A grunt and a soft, female, "Oh," nearby told him that he was not alone. He watched as the black Jumper flew off into the distance. It soon lost altitude and a huge cloud of dust and rock was thrown up as it hit the ground and dragged along for several hundred metres. Very soon, he could no longer see whether it was moving or hear it scraping across the rocky ground.

He stood up with Ronon and Teyla and glanced around. Ronon asked, "Where's McKay?"

John tapped his radio, "Sheppard to McKay. Rodney, please respond."

There was no reply so he started to jog along towards the crash site, "Come on!"

Ronon and Teyla nodded and matched his speed.

They had been running for nearly half an hour when John once again felt the disconcerting feeling of being forced backwards and his vision clouded over with white light just before he rematerialized back inside the black Jumper.

He nearly ran right into the wall and held out his hands to stop himself. Teyla ran into Ronon and they collapsed in a heap onto the deck. They were both unhurt and quickly stood up.

John looked around and noticed that there were three very dusty and fragile looking skeletons on the deck, but his eyes quickly drifted from them as he spotted a pool of very fresh blood on the deck in the rear compartment. He followed it in a trail until he saw a forlorn figure hugging a tablet and curled up in a tight ball next to the DHD in the cockpit.

"Rodney?!" He shouted in alarm as he ran over to him. He knelt down and felt for a pulse. Teyla and Ronon stood behind him and he announced, "He's still alive, but there's no med kit in this Jumper."

There was a livid bruise on Rodney's forehead and blood dribbled out of his mouth. Ronon pointed at McKay's leg, "His ankle's dislocated." He crouched down and gripped Rodney's lower leg and foot in a deliberate fashion.

John widened his eyes at Ronon and asked, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Ronon shrugged and mumbled gruffly, "I've done it before."

Before John or Teyla could protest, he popped Rodney's ankle back into place. McKay cried out and his body stiffened and then shook violently. John held onto his shoulders and Teyla rubbed his back until the shaking stopped and Rodney released a small sigh before he became unresponsive again.

Ronon looked at Sheppard sheepishly and asked, "Can this thing still fly?"

John was giving him an incredulous and slightly angry glare, but his main concern was getting Rodney back to Atlantis.

He stood up and sat in the pilot's chair. He brought up the HUD and saw that the craft still had one drive pod intact enough to let them fly very slowly back to their own Jumper.

Teyla and Ronon knelt down on the floor next to Rodney and monitored him in helplessness. John piloted the black Jumper out of the furrow it had created in the rock from the force of the crash and out over the plane.

It wobbled and pitched as he lowered it into the Jumper bay and landed it clumsily next to their now much more appealing and normal Puddle Jumper.

Ronon gently picked Rodney up and carried him out of the black craft and into the other one. John ran into the cockpit before Ronon had even laid the unconscious scientist down on the deck. He ran his pre-flight checks and zoomed the Jumper out of the bay and back to Atlantis.

----------

John caught up with Rodney in his lab a few days later. He found that with one ankle out of commission, Rodney had abandoned pacing like a normal person and was hopping around the lab on crutches, much to the consternation of his co-workers. The noisy impact and creak of the sticks on the ground was distracting them and they were occasionally shooting angry glares towards Rodney when they looked up from their work.

Rodney winced and flagged when he reached the turn in his line. He nearly collapsed backwards, but John ran over to him, caught him and gently pushed him back upright.

Rodney wheezed as his chest hurt him from using the crutches without rest. John placed a hand on his back and guided him over to the chair. He asked quietly, "What're you doing, McKay? Keller signed you off on light duties and you should only work sitting down."

Rodney furrowed his brow as he considered sitting and John held him under the arms as he carefully sunk down towards the chair. Rodney huffed indignantly and tried to shrug off the help with a vehement mutter of, "I'm not a complete invalid, Sheppard!"

John asked incredulously, "Really?" Then he let go.

Rodney slipped the last short distance down to the chair and landed heavily. He briefly scrunched his face up in pain and then opened his eyes to gaze at the laptop in front of him. There was the familiar schematic of the black Jumper across the screen.

John asked, "How is it?"

"A wreck," Rodney propped the crutches against the side of the desk and half threw his hands up in the air before he flinched and wrapped them around his chest instead, "A complete write off!"

He grimaced as he continued, "All the systems and equipment were fried in the crash. The only thing vaguely salvageable was the emergency beam out tech, but even that's only an adapted Wraith scoop device."

His face fell sadly and he mumbled in misery, "Beam weapons… hyperdrive… oh, oh," he sighed, "Simultaneous shield and cloak…"

John raised his eyebrows and patted Rodney on the back, "That would've been cool, but I'm sure the Ancients left some more of those things lying around for us to find."

When Rodney turned to look at him, his sadness had been replaced by hope, "Like everything else then; keep on searching."

John nodded, "As always. What else is there to do?"

Rodney glanced blearily at the screen for a few more seconds and then said, "At least we know for sure that it wasn't a trap or lure. Those skeletons were obviously the original occupants and got left behind in the buffer for the beam out device."

John smiled, "Looks like it's not just me who had trouble with it…"

Rodney nodded and then suddenly snapped his laptop closed, "I don't know about you, but I'm famished."

"Lunch?"

Rodney nodded and John helped him up. He did not protest this time. As Rodney hopped unsteadily, John walked a fair distance away to avoid being hit by the flailing walking aids as they both headed to the Mess Hall.

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_A/N – Several more to follow and then onto another longer fic…_


	40. Asteroids

_Disclaimer – what's that you ask?_

_Woohoo! Chapter 40! More McKeller this time…_

**Asteroids**

Rodney and Jennifer stood together on one of the balconies on the North Pier. It was night time and the stars shone brightly down on them, reflecting briefly on the calm sea until the waves washed the mirrored points of light away.

They had their arms around each other as they looked out across the water. Jennifer squeezed Rodney's side where her fingers were curled around him and pulled him closer.

She sighed and tilted her head back to look at the stars. She noticed that some of them seemed to be moving, "Hey, Rodney? What's that?"

He followed her pointing finger and his eyes widened when he saw the moving lights. Jennifer watched in mesmerised horror as the lights grew in size as they came towards them.

Rodney cried, "Quickly! Get back inside!"

They were too slow though; Rodney stood behind Jennifer and leant over to shield her with his body as the approaching lights turned out to be a number of missiles. Some of them hit the nearby building and others hissed when they splashed into the sea. Several hit the balcony and some found Rodney.

Jennifer felt him jolting under the impacts and he tensed up and released pained breaths into her ear as he covered her. He had his arms up to shield his head and neck.

The debris hit the ground in a clattering sound and Jennifer saw that it was fragments of rock falling from the sky. She dreaded to think how much pain Rodney was in as some of the rocks had very sharp edges and were fist sized.

The shower did not stop and he whispered harshly, "We…need…to...move..."

"Definitely."

They moved their feet in time as they made their way inside. Jennifer felt badly that Rodney was being hurt because of her, but she knew he would never accept it if she moved away from under him. He grunted a curled against her more firmly as he was hit by a much larger piece of debris than he had been before.

After a few agonising seconds they reached the nearest building and stepped inside.

Jennifer immediately freed herself from under him and walked around behind him where he was still bent double and panting. She inspected the damage the rocks had done to him while he tapped his radio, "McKay to Control Room. Report."

Jennifer could see his back was bleeding through the blackened and burnt material. She carefully helped him out of the jacket and peeled his shirt up to find and staunch the worst of the bleeding.

Rodney hissed and twitched while she worked and he continued to speak on his radio.

Jennifer winced when she saw what he had endured to protect her. His back was badly bruised and there were several deep lacerations and burns which would need treatment.

She did not have any of her gear with her, so she used Rodney's jacket. She folded it up and pressed it onto his back over a particularly nasty cut as blood visibly ran out of it while she watched.

He stiffened up under the touch and said angrily, "Oh, that hurts! I need to get to the Jumper Bay!"

Jennifer frowned as he straightened up and a shudder ran through his body. She kept her hand on the makeshift bandage on his back and guided him forwards as his face screwed up in pain and he grimaced.

She said kindly, "The only place where you're going is the infirmary."

He gasped and then tried to speak normally, but his voice shook, "I _have_ to get to the Jumper Bay or we'll all die!"

Jennifer baulked at his statement and asked, "Why?"

"Because that was just the start. There are massive asteroids heading towards the planet and we need to use every ATA gene carrier on the base to stop them from destroying us along with the planet. The shield won't save us and we can't leave!"

Jennifer furrowed her brow, "But Rodney, your back…"

His pace sped up and he groaned, but did not stop. "I'm sure I'm not the only one hit by asteroid rain. You should skip back to the infirmary and treat people who actually need it."

Jennifer frowned, what was wrong with him? Did he think he was beyond help or that the mission was a futile one? She humoured him and tapped her radio, "Keller to Infirmary. Report."

_"We've had several minor injuries reported and have the situation under control. Nothing serious, Doctor, we'll call you if you're needed."_

"Thank you. Could you very quickly gather some equipment for me and bring it up to the Jumper Bay?"

She quickly relayed what she needed while Rodney watched her curiously. They stepped into the transporter and then out into the Control Room.

Rodney winced as he walked up the steps and Jennifer pressed her hand more firmly on his back.

Sheppard was in the Control Room with about twenty other people. He glanced at Rodney and said, "You look like crap, McKay. Looks like you should be in the infirmary."

Jennifer looked between the two men, Rodney's steely expression kept faltering through the pain he was feeling and John's hidden torment was poorly concealed across his face. Jennifer knew that Sheppard needed every Jumper pilot if they were to save Atlantis, even if that meant forcing his injured friend to fly too.

He nodded in acknowledgement and thanks at Jennifer as he caught her eye. He then turned back to the display screen behind him. He pointed at many large objects spinning towards the planet along the bottom of the screen, "There are fifteen large asteroids in total. We can use the drones to destroy the smaller ones. The debris will break up in the atmosphere without too much damage, unless, of course, you're a fan of lying out under the stars." He gave Rodney and Jennifer a pointed look and McKay scowled back at him even as he continued to tremble.

John pointed to the largest asteroid and continued, "This one, however, is too large to be broken up like that without wasting a large number of drones and we have a limited supply of those."

Rodney frowned, "Why didn't we pick this up earlier?"

Radek had been hiding behind the group of people gathered and he stood up and said, "We have only been looking for Wraith ships with the scanners. We did not think that an attack like this could come."

Rodney stumbled forwards with a soft cry as Jennifer continued to keep up the pressure on his back. She placed her free hand in the centre of his chest to steady him and pursed her lips.

John looked concerned, but the briefing was more important and he obviously knew his friend was in good hands. "I'm splitting us up into teams." He pointed at most of the gathered people, "Shooting duty," then he indicated himself, Rodney, Lorne and two others, "Grapple duty on the largest one."

They all left quickly to make their way up to the Jumper Bay. He came over to Jennifer and Rodney and asked Jennifer, "Is he alright?"

She pressed her lips in a thin line as Rodney looked down sadly with his face scrunched up in pain. She answered quietly, "He's cut up and bruised pretty badly. A lot of these injuries need further treatment and stitches."

Rodney's eyes blazed in anger, "I'm right here you know!"

John set his face in a hard and grim line, "I know, Rodney. I wouldn't dream of asking you to do something like this while you're hurt, but we need every available pilot we have and we're on the clock. Radek says the larger asteroids will be on us in ten minutes."

Rodney sighed in sad resignation as he started walking up the steps to the bay behind the others. Jennifer kept her hand on his chest and rubbed it in a comforting circle against him as his breath hitched and he quickly swallowed a whimper that broke free in his throat from the pain.

When they reached the Jumper Bay, several of the craft were already airborne and leaving out of the roof. John left them and jogged into one of the two remaining ships on the ground. One of Jennifer's colleagues was waiting for her and handed her a rucksack and critically eyed Rodney as he hunched over when they went past.

Jennifer said, "Thank you, Dr McBride."

He gestured towards McKay and asked, "Do you want some help?"

She shook her head, "No, I need you to stay here and co-ordinate the team if we are unsuccessful."

He nodded and left the bay. She guided Rodney into the last Jumper as Sheppard's craft zoomed out of the bay into the night sky visible at the top of the funnel leading out of the hanger.

She placed her rucksack on the co-pilot's chair and Rodney stood still, looking a little dazed while she pulled the armrests from the pilot's seat.

She turned the chair sideways and gently lowered him down so that the back of the seat was to his side and he did not have to press his injured back into the chair.

Sheppard voice buzzed over the comm, _"Hurry it up, McKay. We've only got seven minutes and we need your help to shift this one."_

Rodney reached forwards and sucked in a hissed breath through gritted teeth, as he closed the rear hatch and powered the Jumper on.

Jennifer moved a crate behind him and sat down as closely as possible.

She glanced out of the windscreen at the stars now visible as the Jumper flew up into space. Rodney brought up the HUD and Jennifer saw fifteen blips flying around, while four more were very close to each other as they headed towards an asteroid that looked more like a small moon.

Jennifer grabbed her rucksack and smiled when she opened it and saw it had everything she needed to treat Rodney. She said, "I'm going to patch you up, concentrate on the mission and not what I'm doing."

He nodded and shuddered. He was fast approaching the other four Jumpers on the HUD.

Jennifer pierced the skin inside his elbow with an IV line. He winced and looked at her briefly with his brow furrowed. She taped the line down securely so that he could still move without it shifting too much and stuck a small hook to the bulkhead above Rodney's head before she hung the bag up.

She perched on the edge of the crate and grabbed a pair of scissors from the kit. She cut away his shirt and lifted away the jacket. He gasped and twisted in his seat slightly.

The radio channel was still open, _"McKay, stay in formation!"_

Rodney mumbled, "Easy for you, Colonel. You're not currently being tortured."

Jennifer was a little hurt by his choice of words, but took it in her stride. She said to him, "This is going to sting a little, Rodney, but I need to disinfect these cuts."

He flinched as she cleaned the dirt and blood away to find the worst of the injuries. His skin was dark purple and black where he had been hit by the rocks. She watched as blood ran down his back and pooled against the waistband of his trousers as it oozed from a deep gash just below his ribs. She gently palpated the wound to try and gauge its depth and Rodney tried to curl away from her hands while she worked. It seemed fairly shallow, but the constant bleeding was worrying her. She needed to prevent Rodney from losing too much blood or he would pass out and they would both be stranded in space until someone could come and rescue them.

John said, _"Your grapple missed, Rodney! Fire it again. Three minutes until it's too late."_

His body tensed up and Jennifer pressed a clean bandage against the cut as she watched and waited until she saw him reset the grapple. He fired it again and it shot out and impacted firmly into the asteroid.

"_That's it, McKay. Everyone move to this location and we'll try and pull this thing off course."_ The intended destination flashed up and Rodney piloted the Jumper over.

Once he was in position, Jennifer said, "I'm going to need to stitch the worst cut on your back. Can you hold it together while I work?"

His shoulders hunched as he braced himself and he muttered, "Do I have a choice?"

Jennifer pursed her lips, but did not answer. No he did not. She pulled the bandage away and was pleased to see the bleeding had almost stopped. It only took her a couple of minutes to seal the edges of his skin together. He gripped the control sticks so tightly his hands were white. He occasionally drew a sharp breath but kept as still as possible. Jennifer felt her heart swell and told him why, "You're being very brave, Rodney. Just a few more seconds."

She finished off the stitches and put her gear away. She pulled another bandage out and wrapped it around Rodney's torso to cover the wound. She said, "Okay, that's the worst of it. I'm just going to cover the rest of these smaller cuts until we can get you to the infirmary."

Rodney let out a sigh in relief and Jennifer smiled. She rolled a long strip of bandage all the way around him to keep the scrapes and gashes clean. When she finished, she pulled out a blanket and draped it over his shoulders. He drew it tightly around himself with his free hand as he continued to fly the Jumper. It strained and pulled on the grapple as it moved the asteroid.

Jennifer rested her hands on his shoulders briefly and then took a seat next to him to see what was going on. She watched the asteroid in front of them through the windscreen as the thin grapple line stretched out and towed the large rock off course.

Sheppard said, _"That's it, people; this beauty's going to miss the planet by a large margin. Zelenka says it should shoot harmlessly off into space and out of the system on its new trajectory."_

Rodney sighed in relief and glanced across at Jennifer. She looked at him and grinned. He pressed one of the controls. Nothing happened and he frowned as he touched it again.

_"McKay, I said you can release your grapple now."_

Rodney was beginning to panic and he gritted his teeth as his rapid breaths hurt him. He said weakly, "I'm trying, Colonel. It's not working."

Jennifer started to feel worry building in her chest and asked, "What'll happen if we can't break free?"

"They'll be able to get us out with space suits, but I'd rather not lose the Jumper. One of the others will probably be able to cut through the grapple line before that happens though."

Jennifer nodded, "Good." She did not like the idea of squirming into a bulky suit and floating around in space waiting for a pickup.

The Jumper suddenly lurched. The inertial dampeners meant that neither of them felt it, but the asteroid whipped unsteadily past the window. Rodney cried, "What the hell?!" as the Jumper swung round on the grapple line and slammed into the side of the asteroid.

Jennifer swayed in her seat slightly under the jolting impact and Rodney let out a huffed breath as he moved too. He said quickly, "It's not just the power to the grapple that's malfunctioning. No wonder this was the last Jumper left, all the others must've known there was something wrong with it…"

_Paranoid_, Jennifer thought as he continued.

"…The engines misfired. I can't shut them down. Whoa, hold on!"

The Jumper crashed into the asteroid again and the inertial dampeners also gave up on this particular impact. Rodney cried out as he was nearly thrown out of his seat and IV line needle was torn out of his arm in a splatter of blood across the blanket and control console. Jennifer steadied herself and quickly got up and pressed a bandage against the new cut on his arm as he trembled, "I'm so, so sorry, Rodney!"

He mumbled, "It's not your fault," and clenched his teeth.

John said, _"I've got an idea, Rodney. Can you raise the shields on your Jumper?"_

Rodney scowled, "Do you seriously think I would've let this Jumper slam into the asteroid like that if I had shields to work with, Colonel!?"

_"Um, no…"_

"There are no shields. This is the most clapped out Jumper on Atlantis. No-one else wanted it."

John said, _"Only I've got an idea, but it involves firing a drone at the asteroid, which should destroy the area around your grapple line and hopefully free you."_

Jennifer lifted the bandage and winced at the new cut she had had a hand in giving Rodney on his arm. She wound the material around his arm and said, "I think I'll wait until we're back before I try that again."

He nodded and tugged the blanket over his arm as Jennifer retook her seat next to him once more.

She watched Rodney's shoulders tensing as he wrestled with the controls to move the Jumper as far away from the asteroid as possible. After a few seconds, he announced, "Okay, Sheppard, do it."

Jennifer watched through the window as a yellow light hit the asteroid which was rather close to them. The Jumper was freed instantly, but Rodney did not move it away in time to avoid the spray of debris from the explosion.

The windscreen was chipped and Jennifer held her breath waiting for the glass to give way and suck them out into the airless vacuum. Rodney flew the Jumper away from the asteroid and once the rock had swept out of view she could see the planet they had left a fair distance away as it hung in space in front of them.

A loud hissing sound began emanating from somewhere inside the craft. Rodney frowned and said fearfully, "That sounds like a hull breach. Our air is being sucked out into space. I think I can get us back, but not before we suffocate."

Jennifer's heart pounded in fright. She turned to him and saw his hands were shaking on the control console and there was a sheen of sweat on his pale face. She curled her fingers around his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'll try and find it. Don't give up."

Rodney sealed the central bulkhead, but the frightening hissing continued, so the leak was somewhere in the cockpit. His breathing started to become ragged as he began to hyperventilate in panic.

She said soothingly, "Calm, deep breaths, Rodney. Slowly, in through the nose and out of the mouth."

Jennifer closed her eyes and tried to localise the source of the sound above the noise of Rodney struggling to control his nerves. She would be able to help him as soon as she had saved them both. She needed to find the breach or they would die.

She thought the sound was above her head and glanced up at the ceiling. She narrowed her eyes and reached into her medical kit and grabbed a roll of tape. She glanced along the metal and soon spotted a slight tear in the hull. It was not large enough to cause a pulling sensation she could feel. She tore and laid many strips of the tape over the hole. The hissing sound became quieter, but did not completely stop. She needed something else to plug the breach.

She was starting to feel light headed as she rummaged through her rucksack for something else she could use to patch the hole. She frowned while she thought and suddenly an idea struck her.

She grabbed a scalpel and the scissors she had used to cut Rodney's shirt. They were a little bloody, but would suffice. She sat down and took off her shoes.

Rodney's breathing had evened out a little as he managed to control his panic attack and he was watching her curiously. She used the implements to cut away a portion of the rubber sole on her shoe and stood up. She tore away the useless tape covering the breach and pressed the rubber against it.

The hissing stopped immediately as the suction pulled against the rubber and completely sealed the hole. Jennifer taped it securely in place and then flopped down into her chair weakly.

Rodney was still watching her incredulously, his breaths were still too fast and she reached across to him. She was unsure where she could touch him without hurting him, so she put her hand on his chest reassuringly and said, "Nice, deep and slow breaths, Rodney."

He whispered, "That was amazing!"

She smiled at him as the Jumper skimmed the top of the atmosphere and flew back down to the city. She felt his breathing evening out and becoming more controlled against her hand as she left it resting on his chest.

He said, "The engines seem to be cooperating again."

She smiled as she removed her hand when she was satisfied he was no longer in danger.

The Jumper rolled a little, but did not crash and Rodney did not lose control of it again. They landed in the Jumper Bay and Rodney opened the central bulkhead and rear hatch.

She helped him up and John came rushing into the Jumper as soon as the door opened. He asked, "Are you both alright?"

Rodney scowled and said scathingly, "Not really, you nearly shot us out of the sky! If I wanted to be shot at, I'd find a lovely Wraith outpost somewhere and park it in orbit without the cloak on."

Jennifer shrugged and smiled behind Rodney's back and John patted McKay's blanket covered shoulder. "Well, it's better than being dragged out of the system on an asteroid."

Jennifer guided Rodney out of the Jumper and said, "Come on, infirmary, Rodney. We still need to make sure those cuts are nice and clean before you can go back on duty."

Rodney's face softened and he did not look too disappointed at being forced to spend more time in Jennifer's company as they left the Jumper Bay together.

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_A/N – Next up __**Shot Down in Flames**_


	41. Shot Down in Flames

Disclaimer – Just borrowing. I may hurt Rodney... a little bit... but I promise to give him back when he's fixed!

**Shot Down in Flames**

"Cloak!?" John shouted as a bolt of energy from one of the darts pursuing them exploded against the left drive pod.

Rodney cried, "It cut out when that lucky shot hit us!"

John deactivated the engine as flames streaked out behind them as they flew rapidly through the lower atmosphere of the planet. They had been caught out when the Wraith had decided to turn up for a cull.

Another dart fired at them and John rolled the Jumper over to avoid it. He shot the last drone out of the weapon launcher. It flew out from the front of the craft and was briefly visible through the windscreen before it turned and destroyed the nearest dart in a ball of fire.

The Jumper rocked as a blast skimmed by the hull. John asked, "Shields?"

Rodney tapped frantically on his tablet and said indignantly, "It's the same system, Sheppard! I'm rerouting power, but there are five darts on our tail and we're out of drones."

John clenched his teeth and dodged two incoming shots. The inertial dampeners failed as he could not avoid the third shot and it hit the one remaining functional engine pod. The Jumper spun down towards the ground and slammed into the dirt close to a few buildings which were in the centre of a large area of farmland.

Flames licked out of the active engine for a few minutes until the Jumper's emergency systems kicked in and doused the fire. The Wraith darts ignored the threat now that it had been neutralised and carried on towards a more populated area to continue their cull.

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Rodney coughed as he rolled over onto his back and groaned. He blinked his eyes open slowly and reached up a hand and pressed it against his head. He tested each limb carefully and finding nothing more than a few sore bruises and no broken bones, he stood up slowly.

John was slumped over the pilot's control panel and Rodney quickly made sure he was still alive. He sighed in relief when he felt breath against his hand from John's nose. He shook the unconscious man's shoulders gently and said, "Rise and shine! I hope you're not going to sleep for too long, Colonel."

When he did not stir, Rodney did a more thorough examination and saw that one side of John's face was covered in dark bruising. Rodney did not find anything else wrong with him though and heaved him up out of the seat and laid him down flat on the deck so that he did not fall out of the chair and compound his injury further.

Rodney put him in the recovery position and checked his breathing again. He rested his fingers against John's neck and mumbled, "Ugh, you're so much better at all this icky medical stuff than I am. At least you're not bleeding, yuck!"

He felt a strong pulse beating under his fingers, so he stood up and grabbed his tablet. He perched on the edge of his seat as he tapped on the screen. He looked down at Sheppard's still form and said to him, "Well, not such a flyboy now are we? Two direct hits to the engine pods, Sheppard. That's pretty bad flying for you…"

His ranting seemed to calm him down and he soon thought of a fix he could implement to get them airborne again. He even managed to find a way to route power back to the cloak now that he had more time. He fixed the cloak, but he needed to go outside to fix the least damaged engine.

He stood up and walked into the rear compartment. He grabbed his toolkit and kept hold of the tablet as he opened the rear hatch with his finger on the control panel.

Rodney stared down at his tablet and stepped out of the rear hatch. There was a whistling noise from the trees as two projectiles headed towards him. One arrow thudded into his chest and the other struck him in the side.

He cried out and dropped both the toolkit and his computer as he fell and landed on his back. His breathing sped up in pain and he screwed up his face as he lay there.

His attackers came out of the trees and looked over at him with their crossbows already reloaded and aiming at him on the ground. They were both dressed in dungarees and straw hats and they looked almost identical.

One of them said vehemently, "Demon!" and raised the crossbow up to his sightline as he took aim.

"I dunno, Crather. He don't look like no demon."

Rodney muttered incredulously between laboured breaths, "Oh, great, hillbillies with crossbows!"

The man who had spoken approached Rodney as he lay trembling and bleeding on the ground and crouched down. Rodney followed his movements with watering eyes and blinked slowly.

The man pressed his hand against Rodney's side next to the arrow and McKay whimpered and gritted his teeth. The man then rubbed his fingers together and showed his hand to Crather, "Look, his blood's red, like ours."

"Well, blow me down, you're right, Trather!" Crather laughed a little and said, "Maybe we shouldn'ta shot him."

Rodney winced and grimaced as blood dribbled out of his mouth. Trather was still close to him and dabbed at his face, "Hey, where'd that come from?" He wiped the blood coming from Rodney's mouth with his hand and then looked at his fingers in shock. He rubbed his hand against his trousers and turned to the other man, "Hey, brother, I dunno, I thunk he's really hurt."

Rodney said weakly, "You think?" He then started choking and rolled over onto his side and spat the blood out into the grass. He flinched and squeezed his eyes closed as he stopped himself from rolling right onto the arrows protruding from him.

Trather grasped the arrow shaft sticking out of Rodney's side and gave it an experimental tug. McKay screamed and writhed and Trather quickly let go. He mumbled, "Thought I could get it out! Then you'll be alright."

Rodney panted and flopped down onto his back. He squirmed as he curled his legs up so that his knees were bent and clamped both of his hands on his belly around the arrow. Blood flowed out of him between his fingers and dripped down onto the ground. Tears streamed across his cheeks on his pain lined face and he moaned as he continued to roll slightly against the agony.

Trather was backing away and soon stood next to his brother. Crather said, "You are truly more stupid than I, brother. You know he'll only be alright if we can get him to the barn."

McKay said weakly, "You obviously got given your medical degrees from the cows you sleep with."

Rodney finally decided that he had had enough of these people and their rather primitive medical practices. He lifted a shaking hand away from his abdomen and retrieved the sidearm from the holster on his leg. He pointed it at Crather and Trather and called out in a high pitched and fearful voice, "Get away from me!"

Crather looked down at him in understanding, "Yup, the barn for you. It's the only way."

Trather nodded, "You should listen to him, he knows what he's doing."

Rodney fired a warning shot at them and was grateful that his trembling hand did not throw his aim off and make him hit one of them. He drew in a ragged breath and said angrily, "Leave me alone! I'm not going to the barn."

Crather and Trather both blinked at him, but did not appear to be rattled by the shot he had fired. Crather was actually emboldened and approached Rodney and knelt down next to him. McKay was getting weaker from the pain and blood loss. His life force was still leaking out of him and soaking the ground underneath, turning it into a gory red mud. The gun fell out of his hand and his arm fell down limply.

Crather pawed at the arrow in Rodney's side and McKay squirmed away from him as best he could manage. He lifted both of his hands up desperately and wrapped them around Crather's wrists. He said, "No! Don't!"

Crather ignored him and Rodney's grip was too weak and his strength failed him the more blood he lost and pain he endured. Crather brutally wrenched the arrow out and tossed it away.

Rodney screamed again and his body arched up and shuddered in agony as blood poured from the gaping open wound in his side. Trather narrowed his eyes and came over. He firmly held onto Rodney's shoulders and pinned him to the ground while Crather took hold of the arrow shaft in Rodney's chest and readied himself.

A voice suddenly shouted, "Stop! What the hell are you doing?"

Crather and Trather released their grasp on Rodney and he rolled onto his side and continued to shake and whimper for a few more seconds before he finally became limp and silent as he passed out.

John stood swaying slightly in the rear hatch behind the three men with his P90 pointed unwaveringly at the brothers who had hurt Rodney. He said angrily, "Move away from him now or so help me, I _will_ shoot you."

Crather and Trather stared at him vacantly and John glanced down at Rodney as he bled out onto the ground and his shallow breaths became almost imperceptible. He cried, "What did you do to him?"

Tears started to stream down Crather's face and he muttered sadly, "He broke. We were just trying to fix him!"

John's fury was intensified by his pounding headache and worry for his friend so he raged, "You've done enough! Go back to whatever hole you crawled from!"

The brothers both flinched backwards as they drew away from the angry man yelling at them. They quickly stood up and ran away as John peppered the tree behind them with bullets and his eyes blazed dangerously.

A Wraith dart swooped down on them as they sprinted away from the madman and scooped them up in a bright beam of light. John frowned and then pulled a bandage out of his tac vest. He knelt down next to Rodney and hastily tore off McKay's vest and used his knife to cut away his shirt around the wound on his side and the arrow still in his chest. He whispered, "Oh, Rodney, what did they do to you?" while he worked.

A drop of blood tracked across Rodney's chest from the arrow still imbedded in him and more dribbled from his slack mouth. The hole in his side was far worse and a wide line of crimson blood ran across his skin as it flowed out. John pressed the bandage against Rodney's side and wrapped it tightly around his abdomen.

The Wraith dart was circling around and coming towards them. John grunted as he grabbed Rodney under the arms and dragged him backwards into the rear compartment and laid him out flat on the deck.

The Wraith dart flew harmlessly overhead and John returned his attention to Rodney as he lay unmoving and continued to bleed. John covered him with a blanket and grabbed some more bandages.

McKay coughed and John rolled him over onto his side so that he did not choke on the blood. Rodney opened his eyes narrowly and said in a wheezing voice, "Oh God! I'm dying aren't I?"

John rubbed Rodney's back as the scientist trembled violently. He said, "Not if I can help it. Tell me what to do to fix the engines, McKay."

Rodney started coughing again and every breath he managed to snatch between the harsh expulsions of air and blood rattled noisily in his chest. John grabbed Rodney's shoulders and propped him up so that McKay's back was pressed into his own chest. John laid another bandage against the soaked one on McKay's side and used his position to press it down on the seriously injured man's abdomen in a hug. He felt Rodney's pale body shaking against him through the pain, but the coughing had stopped for now as sitting up helped his breathing.

John had a face full of Rodney's muddy hair and tilted his head over and asked again, "Tell me how to fix it, McKay."

Rodney shivered and John held him more tightly. The scientist was in too much pain to notice or comment on the awkward and embarrassing seating arrangement. He said, "The schematic's on the tablet." McKay sucked in a rattling breath and it bubbled wetly due to the blood in his lungs. He whispered harshly, "Even a monkey could fix it. All the tools you need are in the kit I dropped."

John extricated himself from where he had his limbs tangled up with the scientist's and carefully leant Rodney against one of the benches in the rear compartment. His head sagged down towards his chest, but he did not pitch over. John shifted the blanket on him so that he was covered and gathered up the equipment that had flown out of Rodney's hands when he had been shot.

John glanced down at the tablet and his eyes widened. The image was so horrendously complicated he turned the screen around a few times trying to see whether looking at it sideways or upside down would help. He said to Rodney who seemed to have lost consciousness as he remained slumped against the bench, "I think you meant 'monkey' as in the members of your science team, McKay. I can't make head nor tail of this."

Rodney made no motion that he had heard and his jaw dropped open limply. More blood ran down out of his mouth and dripped into his lap.

John furrowed his brow and then frowned in concentration at the diagram. He winced a little as it stretched the bruises on his face. He glared intensely at the tablet and then steeled himself as he stepped out of the rear hatch.

He looked around warily for any more crazy natives. Seeing none, he walked to the less damaged engine pod and used a tool from the kit to pry away the cover on the engine, which had remained open from the fuselage of the Jumper as it crashed.

Acrid smoke which had been trapped after the fire billowed out briefly and John held his breath and closed his eyes until it had passed. He looked at the schematic again and grimaced. Rodney's time was running out and John was deeply frustrated he could not figure out how to fix the engine.

He was contemplating losing control completely and howling into the air due to his helplessness, when a gasping whisper caught his attention. "Peanuts…"

John frowned and then turned to see Rodney swaying and looking like a gentle breeze could bend and break him. He had a bloody hand pressed against his side and his other arm hung down by his side as the arrow still sticking out of his chest prevented him from moving it.

John rushed over to him and helped him sit down as he crumpled and closed his eyes. He said, "What are you talking about, McKay?"

"Monkeys need peanuts…"

"I'd say the blood loss has addled your brain, McKay. Can you tell me how to fix this?"

Rodney grimaced and raised his free hand up. John crouched down and handed him the tablet and then he drew the blanket around McKay more securely where it had slipped off his bare shoulders.

He held onto Rodney's upper arms to steady him and said, "I swear if you can tell me how to fix this engine before the Wraith scoop us up or you flake out; I'll use my personal cargo quota on the next Daedalus run to get you as many peanuts as you want!"

Rodney smiled and winced, "Not for me… for you…"

John laughed mirthlessly, "I sure need them, I can't figure out what to do!"

He stood up and Rodney instructed him to remove and rearrange several large components inside the pod. He singed his fingers a few times while he worked and asked, "You're not going to direct me to shove my hand into a live circuit are you?"

Rodney gazed up at him blankly and then mumbled, "No."

John was not very assured and flinched a few times before Rodney announced it was fixed.

A Wraith dart was flying around nearby, but it kept its distance and did not get any closer.

Rodney whispered quietly, "That's it. It's done and the cloak should work now too. I'm going to sleep now." As he finished, he finally gave up his tenuous hold on consciousness; his eyes closed and he dropped the tablet.

John knew what was coming and he held onto Rodney's shoulders as he fell sideways where he was sitting on the ground.

John dragged him back inside the Jumper and laid him out on his side so that he would not choke if the blood flowed up his throat again.

He checked the arrow in Rodney's chest and saw that it was still not bleeding very badly. "At least not externally," he thought grimly as another trail of blood came from McKay's mouth and pattered down onto the deck.

He pressed another bandage over the two already against Rodney's side and laid the blanket over him once more. He then dashed into the cockpit to check the systems.

They came on instantly as he sat down. John sealed the rear hatch and cloaked the Jumper as he used the weakly sputtering single engine to force the Jumper up towards the gate in orbit.

The Wraith were leaving when he broke through the upper atmosphere on his final approach. He saw the Hive vanish into hyperspace as he dialled the gate. He radioed in, "This is Sheppard, have an emergency medical team meet us in the Gate Room. Rodney's been shot with arrows in his chest and side, he's lost a lot of blood…"

----------

John sat down in the chair next to Rodney in the infirmary and tossed a bag onto the table by the bed.

Rodney was still pale and his arm was strapped across his chest. The sheet hid many more bandages and his nose twitched where the cannula irritated him. He asked, "What's that?"

John smirked, "Zelenka had them."

Rodney frowned in confusion as John grabbed the bag and held it open for him to see the peanuts inside. His eyes opened wide in realisation and he said, "No wonder Radek's not as bad as the rest of them."

John smiled as he rolled the top of the bag down and placed it back on the table. "Yes, Radek gave me a few from his secret stash when I let slip some of the things you said."

Rodney's eyes drifted closed and he said sleepily, "You should probably keep them. You sure need them after that…"

John's smile faltered and then he sighed. He imitated Rodney's usual sarcastic tone as he said in good humour, "'Gee, _thanks_ John, I nearly died.'" He patted Rodney's free arm and said more seriously, "Oh, you're welcome, Rodney. But you should eat them yourself, rather than giving them to your staff or you really will have monkeys roaming around the labs!"

----------

_A/N – Shot at, shot down and shot!_

_Next up __**Pandemonium!**_


	42. Pandemonium!

_Disclaimer – Yeah, yeah, whatever_

_A/N - Uproar and confusion! This is based on an unused part of the original idea for my next long fic 'A Touch of Chaos.' It worked better as a PJM, so I tweaked it into this…_

**Pandemonium!**

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Chuck announced to the Gate Room.

Rodney was sitting at one of the laptops next to Zelenka as they studied a map of Atlantis with great interest.

Weir asked, "Any IDC?"

Chuck tapped on the computer, frowned, glanced up and then looked again, "Yes, Ma'am." He turned to Rodney next to him and said, "It's Dr McKay's."

Rodney visibly jumped and narrowed his eyes while Elizabeth asked, "But he's not off-world at the moment."

"_Obviously…"_ McKay added, "Someone must've stolen my IDC."

Chuck continued, "I'm receiving a radio transmission."

He channelled it through the speakers. A weak and familiar voice reached their ears, _"This is McKay. Lower the shield."_

Rodney said in slight panic, "It can't be! It's a trick!"

Elizabeth hushed him with a look and indicated for Chuck to mute their outgoing radio transmission, "He has your IDC, Rodney, it's your voice."

Radek was frowning and he added, "We should help you, uhm, _him_ and find out what has happened."

Elizabeth nodded, while Rodney spluttered in protest, "It's an impostor! Don't let it through! I'm me!"

Radek smiled, "Oh, I know. One McKay is certainly enough for Atlantis."

Elizabeth had already made her decision, but Rodney needed convincing, "What if he's in trouble? You would want us to lower the shield for you."

"Uh, yes…"

Radek said, "Perhaps it is a time distortion of some kind."

"Um, possibly…"

Elizabeth stared at Rodney, "Maybe he's come from the future to warn us?"

Rodney glared down at his shaking hands and then his eyes snapped up and met Elizabeth's, "Oh, alright, alright! Let him through."

She nodded at Chuck and he lowered the shield. He then reactivated the radio link, "Rodney, this is Elizabeth. You have permission to come through."

There was a long pause and all the occupants in the Control Room exchanged worried glances. A shaky voice said, _"Not a moment too soon. I'm dying here."_

Rodney's eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock. Elizabeth tapped her radio, "Medical team to the Jumper Bay!"

The Jumper came through the event horizon and rose up into the bay above on autopilot. There did not appear to be anyone inside, as the pilot's seat was empty.

Elizabeth frowned in concern and tapped her radio again, "Colonel Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla, meet me in the Jumper Bay right away."

She placed her hand on Rodney's shoulder as he moved to get up and follow her up the stairs. He shot her a questioning glance and she said, "No, not yet. Not until we know who or what we're dealing with."

He huffed out an indignant breath and gazed angrily across at the now empty stargate where it had just shut down. Elizabeth left him with Radek and ran up the stairs.

----------

Elizabeth entered the Jumper Bay to the sound of a flat lining portable heart monitor. She furrowed her brow and placed a hand over her mouth as she watched Carson compressing the new Rodney's chest with his face set in a hard line.

As she approached, her eyes widened even further when she saw new Rodney's pale face under the mask where a member of Carson's team was squeezing a bag rhythmically. Blood was streaked across his face from where it had run out of his mouth and nose.

She watched and waited in stunned silence as Carson's efforts to revive the newcomer failed.

Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon soon joined her and looked even more shocked than she had ever seen any of them.

John asked, "What happened?"

Elizabeth recounted the radio call and what had happened since.

Ronon gestured down at the medical team. Their faces had started to drop as hope abandoned them while they struggled to revive the man lying on the floor. "So our McKay's alright?"

She said sadly, "Yes."

John asked rhetorically, "So, who's this guy?"

Carson suddenly stopped his compressions and glanced at his watch, "I'm calling it. We don't know how long his heart was stopped before we got to him."

A chill passed through the bay and Elizabeth shivered. She asked, "How did he die?"

Carson shrugged, "I don't know yet. We'll need to do an autopsy."

Elizabeth nodded at him and tapped her radio, "Weir to McKay. Meet us in the Briefing Room."

----------

John did not believe or understand what was going on and was very glad to see McKay very much alive and breathing when he reached the Briefing Room. Rodney was pacing along one side of the room, twisting his hands together nervously. His eyes were darting around as he gazed intensely down at the ground.

His head whipped up when the others came into the room and he asked in panic, "How am I? Is _he_?"

Elizabeth did not beat around the bush, "He's dead."

"Oh." Rodney crumpled and collapsed heavily into a seat. He gazed down at his hands in fear as he rested them on the table.

Chuck's voice came over the PA again, even before they had had time to close the doors to the Briefing Room.

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" He added, "Receiving IDC. It's Dr McKay's."

Rodney looked around at his team as they watched him carefully. He said indignantly, "Don't look at me! I have no idea what's going on either."

They all rushed over to Chuck. Radek was still there too and looked confused as he watched the shield covering the gate. Rodney sat in the seat next to Chuck and said, "It's the same address as before, but exactly fifteen minutes later."

_"This is McKay. Lower the shield!"_

The intonation and slight hitching pauses were identical to before.

Elizabeth indicated for Chuck to open a channel, "Rodney! What happened to you? We know you're hurt."

_"Poison, I think. I managed to steal a sample and get back to the Jumper. Uh, everyone else is already dead."_

Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon simultaneously drew in sharp breaths in shock.

The trembling voice over the radio continued, _"It hurts so much! Feels like my internal organs are liquefying."_ There was a harsh cough over the speakers.

Rodney grimaced as he tapped on the laptop.

Elizabeth said to Chuck, "Lower the shield." She then gave permission to the Jumper to come through. She tapped her radio, "Medical emergency in the Jumper Bay."

Carson replied, _"We only just got back to the infirmary with this Rodney. What's happened?"_

McKay answered in a high pitched voice, "What do _you_ think? I'm dying again!"

Elizabeth rested a hand on his shoulder and said, "It's poison, Carson. This Rodney told us he has a sample of the poison used."

_"I'm going to let Dr Biro perform the autopsy. I'll ask her to concentrate on toxicology. We'll be up in a moment."_

----------

Rodney stood with his team as Elizabeth had let him come up with them this time. He gazed down at the man on the deck of the Jumper who looked exactly like him as he convulsed and choked on blood in agony. The other Rodney whispered something through bloody teeth to Carson.

Rodney did not hear what he said, but Carson relayed something to one of his team. They reached into the dying Rodney's tac vest and retrieved a vial of black liquid. They then dashed out of the Jumper Bay to the infirmary.

The other Rodney curled away from the deck, even as the medical team tried to restrain him. He trembled and gurgled before he released a huffed breath and collapsed down onto the floor and did not move again. Blood flowed out of his mouth and nose as his head turned sideways limply.

Carson checked the other Rodney's neck and once again a mask was laid over the dead man's face and Carson started compressions.

John rested a hand on Rodney's back and guided him in stunned silence away from the horrific scene of his own death and out of the Jumper Bay.

Rodney whispered, "How…?"

John shook his head, "I don't know. We need to check that planet. I think something strange is going on there."

"No, what? Do you _really_ think so, Sheppard?" Rodney said sarcastically. He rested a hand over his chest, "Oh, what a horrible way to die!"

John patted his arm, "You look like you're still alive to me, McKay. Remember, I'm already a dead man."

He mumbled, "Oh, yes. Sorry."

John smiled grimly, "Although I don't feel like it."

When they reached the Gate Room, the stargate whooshed active again and Chuck announced tiredly, "Unscheduled off-world activation."

Rodney looked at his watch and John said, "Let me guess, fifteen minutes?"

McKay nodded as his familiar voice echoed its same words through the speakers like a death knell in his heart. _"This is McKay. Lower the shield!"_

John walked alongside Elizabeth as they reached the bottom of the steps and went across the Gate Room. He said, "There are no more free spaces in the Jumper Bay. If more Jumpers keep coming through, there's no-where for them to go anymore."

She turned to him and frowned, "Make some space, Colonel."

John stopped in his tracks and tapped his radio. He called a few marines with the ATA gene to move the Jumpers from the Bay out onto one of the piers and convert it into a temporary Jumper parking lot until the situation was resolved.

A similar drill followed. Elizabeth called Carson, but he was still in the Bay trying to revive the newest Rodney who had come through the gate. She lowered the shield without question and set her face in a steely expression.

The Rodney who was still alive and unharmed flopped down in the chair next to Chuck. He buried his face in his hands in anguish, so that he did not see the third Jumper fly out into the Gate Room and rise into the bay.

John went over and sat down next to him. He turned in his seat to face Rodney while Teyla and Ronon went over and hovered behind him. John saw that Rodney's hands were trembling as he pressed them against his face. He leant forwards and grasped McKay's wrist and pulled it gently. He did not let Sheppard move it away and John asked quietly, "Rodney?"

Rodney hunched even more over the control panel he was resting his elbows on. John said more firmly, "Look at me, McKay."

Rodney lowered his hands away from his face and he blinked slowly at Sheppard.

Teyla said, "Try not to let it get you down, Rodney. _You_ are healthy and well."

Ronon mumbled gruffly, "It can't be good watching yourself die."

John patted Rodney's shoulder and said, "We should send a MALP and see if we can get through to the other side ourselves. We'll find out where these other versions of you are coming from."

Elizabeth had been listening and nodded in agreement, "We need to stop this or we'll be overrun and Carson's team are already stretched."

The gate activated again while they waited for the MALP to be brought up to the Gate Room.

Chuck said to Elizabeth, "Shield is raised, Ma'am."

She nodded as a voice came over the comm. _"This is McKay…"_

Rodney groaned and put his head in his hands again.

----------

TBC


	43. Pandemonium! Part II

_And now the conclusion…_

**Pandemonium! Part II**

Rodney scrubbed his hand across his forehead in panic and his voice broke as he said, "Where's that MALP?!"

The next Jumper came through the gate and it shut down.

Sheppard pointed to the floor in the Gate Room below and replied, "There."

Elizabeth said, "Dial it up, please."

Rodney lowered his shaking hands and pressed his palms together firmly as Chuck hit the symbols. His eyes widened as he watched the buttons the technician was pressing.

"Hey, that's where we're going in a couple of hours!"

John frowned, "Must be time travel of some kind then?"

Radek was listening and he said, "Or other realities."

Rodney shrugged, "I just want to find a way to stop it from happening."

The MALP moved slowly towards the event horizon and slipped through. Telemetry started streaming from the scanners and Rodney narrowed his eyes in concentration through his fear.

"There's an anomaly just in front of the Gate. I don't know what it is, but if you bank sharply when we go through, you'll avoid it and I should be able to get more accurate readings."

John asked, "What about the gate? Is that what's been causing this?"

Rodney typed and read the data at the same time as he said, "No. We spoke to the other versions of me on the radio before they came through."

Radek was also checking over the data and squinted down at the screen briefly before looking up at the gathered people, "There is nothing, apart from the anomaly, which would prevent us from saying it is fine to send a team through."

John looked at him and then turned to Elizabeth as he waited for her decision. She stared at Rodney for a long time as he continued to type away. He was totally oblivious to her worried eyes on him. At length she said, "Okay, you have a go. Just don't land on the planet and don't eat anything."

Rodney closed and unplugged the laptop he was working on. He stood up and tucked it under his arm, "Wouldn't dream of it."

----------

Rodney looked pale and ill as he walked up the stairs to the Jumper Bay after the fastest gearing up session the team had ever experienced. A fifth Jumper had come through the Stargate while they had been getting ready and was in the crammed to bursting hanger above the gate room. Although some vessels had now been moved to the pier.

John held Rodney's upper arm when he swayed and nearly tripped as they jogged up the stairs. John said, "You know, if it's a time thing, we're already changing what's going to happen."

Teyla and Ronon looked a little confused and Rodney said quietly, "Or we may be heading towards the very thing we were trying to avoid."

"Hmm…" John replied and gazed off in deep thought.

When they reached the bay, Carson and his medical team were looking more tired and harassed than they had ever been before. The newest Rodney was speaking to Carson as he lay on the floor and writhed.

The team heard a snatch of what he said, "I thought if I got back here…" His eyes widened when he saw Rodney looking down at him in fear. Rodney had never been so scared in his life as he saw the man who looked exactly like him struggling to draw in each breath as he fought down the painful effects of the poison coursing through his bloodstream.

Carson said soothingly, "You did the right thing, Rodney. I'm going to give you something for the pain. It'll knock you out."

The other Rodney turned his frightened eyes up to the man looking down at him kindly. He mumbled, "Okay."

Carson injected a syringe into his arm and he passed out. Carson then rubbed his face and turned to look at his Rodney with a worried face, "Hurry! I don't think we can take much more of this."

John nodded and had to grab Rodney's arms to move him away from the scene before he had to see himself die again.

They stepped into one of the original Jumpers still in the bay. John guided a very dazed Rodney inside and pushed him into the co-pilot's chair before sitting down himself. Teyla leant forwards where she was sitting behind Rodney and squeezed his arm gently as he stared wide-eyed at the control panel.

She said, "It was not you, Rodney."

Ronon mumbled, "Looked like him to me."

John said angrily, "Really not helping!"

Rodney sighed softly and leant forwards so that he could close his eyes and rest a hand on his forehead sadly.

The Jumper left the floor and lowered down into the Gate Room. It zoomed through the active gate and out into space.

John turned it away from the visible swirls of mist in front of them and spun it around when it was behind the gate. He set it to hover relatively to the gate and prodded Rodney's arm gently. "Can you see what it is now, McKay?"

Rodney flinched and mumbled through his hands where they had slipped down to cover his whole face, "Apart from the origin of my imminent and agonizing death?"

John smiled grimly, "Yes."

Rodney released a heavy sigh and leant back in his seat. He opened up the computer from the gate room where he had placed it in his lap. He plugged it into the Jumper systems and typed for a few minutes.

Ronon reached across and patted his arm reassuringly. Rodney winced as he nearly fell out of his seat under the impact and then carried on tapping away. The work seemed to distract him from the horrific thoughts and memories assailing him and he soon looked up in triumph.

"It's a tear in the fabric of space."

Ronon asked, "How did it happen?"

"I don't know!" he snapped. "You're lucky I can even tell you that!"

John eyes trailed the edges of the slowly tumbling mist as it hung in front of the gate nearby. He asked, "Can you repair it?"

Rodney scowled, "Oh, yes! I'll just get my galactic sewing kit out!"

As they watched, another Jumper flew out of the tear and dialled up the gate. It hovered for a moment and then proceeded through.

Teyla rolled her eyes and then asked, "Why does a new Jumper come through every fifteen minutes?"

Rodney's puzzled frown creased his face even more and he said, "I don't know that either… yet. It's probably a fracture in time as well as space. It depends on the other realities and the obviously constant nature of how the tear is fluctuating in time."

John gave him a lopsided grin, "Artificial then?"

"Again with the _'I don't know_!' How many space-time anomalies do you think I've had a chance to study?"

"Um, ten?"

"None, Colonel. This is the first one. I would hazard a guess that it was created rather than occurring naturally."

Ronon grunted, "There's nothing natural about that thing."

Teyla nodded in agreement.

John came back to his original query, "Can you seal it?"

"We may be able to seal it with a modified drone, but all the other realities have now lost that Jumper and our entire team."

John nodded and waved his hand as he spoke, "You do realise, we've now got six spare Jumpers and quite a lot of drones?"

"Yes, I know. I only had to _die_ six times for that to happen. I even got to _watch_ myself go twice! In terrible agony, I might add!"

Rodney typed frantically on his tablet and furrowed his brow. After a few seconds he paused with his hand hovering over the screen and frowned. He turned to John and said, "I don't actually think I'll have to seal it. It seems to be collapsing in on itself. I estimate we have five minutes before it's gone."

Teyla asked, "What will happen then?"

Rodney mumbled quietly, "I don't know."

John frowned and said slowly, "McKay, you're a genius! Figure it out."

Rodney grimaced and set to work. Soon, he peered up from the screen again and narrowed his eyes out of the window.

Ronon asked, "Well?"

"I don't think anything will happen when it collapses. Although, I have an idea about preventing any more deaths in the other realities or timelines or," he hesitated for a moment, "Whatever they are."

"Okay," John said.

Rodney laid out his plan, "I'm going to dial the gate. While I'm speaking with Atlantis, scoop the MALP into the rear compartment."

John rolled his eyes and smiled, "Yes, sir!"

Rodney scowled at him angrily, but he did as he was asked. The central bulkhead slammed shut and John flew the Jumper over to where the MALP was spinning lazily through space. Rodney hammered the buttons on the DHD and the gate activated.

He opened a radio channel, "McKay to Atlantis."

Weir quickly answered, _"The shield's down, come through."_

Rodney frowned in confusion and then his eyes widened, "Oh no no no! It's me! I need to speak with Carson."

There was a brief pause and then Beckett answered in a tired voice, _"Go ahead, Rodney."_

"Do you have a cure for the poison yet?"

_"Yes, Dr Biro has been able to find out what it is. We're ready with the antidote for the next version of Rodney who comes through. We should be able to save him."_

"If this works, you won't have to worry. Please send all the details through in a databurst and standby."

_"Alright, Rodney."_

He turned in his seat to face John and asked, "MALP?"

"In the back. What're you…?"

Rodney held up his finger to silence the other man and said, "No time, Sheppard. Open the door and… HUD?" It flickered to life, "Move the Jumper to this position. Prepare to jettison the MALP on my mark." He pointed at the display to indicate the area in front of the gate.

Rodney all but leapt out of his seat and dashed through the doors before they had fully opened. The MALP was sideways as it barely fitted in the rear compartment. He squeezed past until he found the transmitter array and pried off a panel.

John called out to him, "Receiving data."

Rodney was speaking quietly and rapidly while he worked, but he broke off to answer, "Send it to my tablet."

John complied and Rodney finished muttering as he tinkered with the MALP. He put the panel back in place. He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened, "Sixty seconds! Are we in position?"

John spun in his seat, "Ready and waiting. Thought I'd let you to join us though, before I blast all the contents of the rear compartment into space."

"Uh, that's very considerate of you, thanks!" Rodney replied in sarcasm. "The MALP's not actually going into space, Colonel, but through the rift." Rodney said breathlessly as he thumped back down in his seat in the cockpit.

Teyla asked, "Will the MALP be able to go through to the other side?"

"I hope so, otherwise in an infinite number of alternate realities, we're all dead."

Everyone looked shocked at Rodney's revelation, but they knew he was right. He said, "Seal the door and open the rear hatch without depressurising."

John did as he asked and the MALP shot out of the Jumper and into the rapidly shrinking anomaly behind them. The swirls of mist drew it in and it disappeared.

----------

The Atlantis team in our reality sat in the Puddle Jumper as it zoomed through the gate and entered orbit above the planet they were going to visit. They had no idea that they would all die soon if they continued on their mission.

They were fairly relaxed, even Rodney, as they were curious as to what they would find on the new planet.

An incessant bleeping suddenly started on the control console. Rodney blinked out of his dreamy expression as he sat gazing out of the windscreen at the slowly turning orb below. John brought up the HUD and frowned.

Rodney typed on his tablet and announced, "Receiving transmission."

The bleeping stopped and he narrowed his eyes at the data scrolling across the screen of his computer. "Hmm, it's a lot of medical information and an audio message."

Teyla asked, "Where did it come from?"

"I don't know. We picked it up shortly after we flew through the gate."

Ronon mumbled, "Can you play the audio?"

McKay suddenly grimaced, "Oh, this is one of my personal codes. How is that even possible?" He sucked in a breath as he typed and muttered, "Right, here we go."

Rodney's disembodied voice whispered rapidly through the speakers, _"Uh, I hope this works. This is Dr Rodney McKay, I'd say from the future, but you may not even get this before… Anyway, the data you have is the antidote to a poison which will be used to kill you all if you go to that planet. There was a time rift and uh, I, um, kept coming through and dying. I, uh, the_ other _me, said you were all dead. Just don't visit the planet, okay?"_

He shouted suddenly and made them all jump, _"Send it to my tablet!"_

His voice resumed its low mumble, _"I suppose if you choose to ignore this, at least Carson can look at the data and cure me before I die. But know this; Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, you were all dead_ before _you were able to leave the planet…"_

The audio ended and John stopped the descent of the Jumper through the atmosphere. The occupants all exchanged shocked and confused looks.

Rodney's eyes were wide and he clutched at his chest over his heart, "Okay, that sold me. If I can't trust myself, who can I trust? Let's go back."

John nodded, "I'm inclined to agree with you there, Rodney."

Teyla and Ronon also approved. John spun the Jumper around and headed back through the gate.

----------

_A/N – Oh, I got blindsided by a happy ending! How rare for me in a PJM fic!_


	44. Portal

_Disclaimer – whatever_

_Set after 'The Last Man'_

_A/N – Based on my favourite game (of the same name)_

**Portal**

John headed over to the science labs, looking for a particular missing scientist who had not met up with him for lunch as promised.

"Hey, Sheppard, catch!" Rodney called out to him from the other side of the lab as John walked into the room.

John looked over at him and watched as Rodney lobbed a ball towards the wall next to himself. John frowned in confusion as the ball passed through the wall. How did Rodney expect him to catch it if he was not even aiming properly?

John was about to make a patronising comment to that effect, when he was hit in the side of the head by a stray tennis ball.

Radek was on the other side of the lab with Rodney and he stifled a laugh behind his hand. Rodney was looking mightily pleased with himself and said incredulously, "Huh? That was on target and everything!"

John was still reeling from the impact and glanced around to see where the ball had come from as it rolled across the floor.

He suddenly saw a small hole in the wall and through the hole he could see the side of Rodney's head as the scientist continued to smile back at him across the lab. John asked, "What the hell?"

He reached out to touch the mysterious hole. Rodney's face fell and he called out in alarm, "No! Don't touch it!"

John pulled his hand back and frowned. Radek explained, "We have not tested it on organic matter yet. We do not know whether it would work."

"Or cut you in half," Rodney added with a grimace.

John shrugged and walked over to the two scientists. He peered down at the object on the table that they were both studying intently. It looked like a hi-tech gun of some kind. It was white with a blue and orange nozzle at one end, flanked by black spindly arms.

John raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Cool!"

Rodney picked up the device possessively and shook his head, "I found it, Colonel!"

"What does it do?"

Rodney nodded and said, "Watch."

He pressed a control embedded on the side of the gun and the holes in the wall vanished in sparks of blue and orange light. He then took careful aim at a blank spot on the wall and pulled one of the two triggers.

A blue pool appeared on the wall. He then moved the gun to the side slightly and pulled the other trigger. Another hole appeared in the wall. Radek retrieved the tennis ball as it knocked into his feet on the ground. He tossed the ball through one of the holes and it came out of the other one and John caught it.

"Double cool!" John said happily.

Rodney carefully put the gun down and said, "It creates portals. One leads to the other. We're going to test organic matter in the next couple of hours and if that checks out, I'm looking for volunteers…"

John smiled lopsidedly, "Where did you get it?"

"Let me guess, 'And can I have one?'" Rodney finished John's train of thought. "We found it in a lab over on the South Pier. It's a hole in the wall gun."

Radek rolled his eyes and muttered, "We are not getting money out, Rodney."

Sheppard grinned and waved his hand, "What about a portal gun?"

Rodney shot him a scathing look and Radek raised his eyebrows and nodded approvingly, "That _is_ better."

Rodney huffed angrily and then his annoyance passed to his voice as he said, "If the organic trials are successful, I'm going to see if I can increase the size of the portals it can create. If they are large enough for a Jumper, I may fit it on one of them."

Radek said, "Could come in handy when you are next pursued by the Wraith."

John was looking more delighted by the minute, "We portal through the ground, deactivate it and the Wraith who've stupidly tried to follow us slam into the ground when we turn it off."

"Precisely!" Rodney said with a smile as his anger started to dissipate.

----------

_**One week later…**_

"Break right!" Rodney cried from the co-pilot's seat.

Sheppard obeyed and the Jumper veered to the right. Bolts of blue energy flew past the window, but one still found the craft and broke against the rapidly failing shield.

John said calmly, "I do know how to fly, McKay."

Rodney was panicking and he watched the HUD with wide eyes as three Wraith darts pursued them with murderous intent. He called again, "Look out!"

John gritted his teeth in concentration as he swerved the craft, but the shots fired still found the Jumper. Both occupants felt the jolts through the straining inertial dampeners as the shields wavered.

John muttered, "Back…seat…drivers!"

Rodney ignored his comment and his voice was shaky as he spoke, "We've run out of drones and we're too far from the gate to outrun them! We need to use the portal gun!"

John said, "I know. It's only been tested once. Does it have enough power to create and maintain enough portals for us to destroy them all?"

Rodney clenched his teeth and bunched his free hand into a tight fist as he hammered the fingers of his other hand on the tablet to scroll down lines of code. He said, "I think so!"

"It'll have to. The shields are about to fail."

"We're dead either way?"

"Not exactly how I would've put it, McKay, but whatever gets you to work faster I suppose."

Rodney got out of his chair and rushed into the rear compartment. Another impact sent the inertial dampeners offline briefly and he stumbled into one of the walls. He lost his breath in a loud whoosh and clutched his ribcage as he lifted up his other hand and pulled down the crystal tray. He quickly routed power from non-essential systems to the shields. The portal gun was installed in the undercarriage of the Jumper and he powered it on using the controls he had rigged up.

He rubbed his chest gently and winced, before he released his grip and used both hands to continue his work. After a few seconds and more death-defying dodges on Sheppard's part, he said loudly, "It's done!"

John nodded and fired two portal shots at the ground a short distance away. He guided the Jumper into one of the holes and it soon zoomed out of the ground through the other portal. He quickly deactivated the device.

One of the darts had tried to pursue them and got confused as it came closer to the ground. It veered off into one of the other ships and they both crashed into the ground in flames and debris.

Rodney allowed himself a savage smile as John said to him, "One left."

"How close are we to the gate?" Rodney asked.

"Just a few more minutes."

John fired the portal gun again and tilted the nose of the Jumper vertically downwards towards the ground. Rodney had finished rearranging the crystals and watched through the windscreen from where he was still standing in the rear compartment. He could see the ground approaching around the portal they were heading for. Through the hole he saw the sky.

John slowed the Jumper on the final approach so that he did not miss the portal, which was barely large enough to accommodate the entire craft.

Rodney was completely mesmerised and did not notice the red flashing lights across his tablet as he held it loosely in his hand. There was nothing he could have done about it anyway, even if he had seen it.

The nose of the Jumper made it through the portal, but a sudden and catastrophic power loss halfway through made the portals vanish.

Rodney was surprised for a fraction of a second when his view through the windscreen was suddenly obstructed by the wall of the ground in front of him. He was then slammed into the solid and hard packed earth at the same speed the Jumper was moving at as the craft was cut in half.

The engines strained for a few seconds and the rear half of the Jumper was concertinaed. They then cut out abruptly as the severed power conduits stopped providing them with instructions from the pilot. The rear half of the Jumper on the ground fell backwards to reveal a battered and broken figure lying completely still in a growing pool of blood.

The front half of the Jumper made it through the portal. It flew up into the sky under inertia before gravity took its toll and it fell groundwards. John braced himself against the control panel and covered his head as his remaining half of the Jumper crashed

The remaining Wraith dart circled above the scene briefly, before it gave up on the two men as too much trouble for such a small snack. They probably thought both were too badly injured to provide very much sustenance anyway.

----------

John opened his eyes with a groan. He had spilled out of his chair onto the deck in the cockpit during the crash. He held his head and wondered why it was so brightly lit inside the ship. His eyes widened when he looked to where the rear compartment used to be.

He pressed a hand against his head again as he breathed, "Rodney…"

He ignored his own hurts and stood up slowly. He knew he probably had a couple of bruised ribs and a fine concussion from the way his chest and head were throbbing in time with his heartbeat.

He winced as he walked and stepped out of the new doorway into the sun. He spotted the missing half of the Jumper a short distance away. Smoke billowed up into the sky as the engines sparked and smouldered. He could see into the rear compartment where the hull was buckled and warped, but there was no-one inside.

He called out, "Rodney?" as he moved over towards the stricken rear half of the ship. There was no reply and he could not see the other man anywhere.

"McKay?" He shouted again, "Oh!"

John spotted him lying on the ground pressed right up against the jagged edge of the severed rear half of the Jumper. He dashed over as fast as his own injuries would allow and all but fell on the ground next to his friend.

John winced and grimaced as his eyes tracked along McKay's body and he saw the visible extent of the other man's injuries.

There was a large cut on the side of Rodney's head and blood still leaked out as John watched. It was splattered down his face and neck and soaked into the collar of his offworld gear. John pressed his fingers against Rodney's bloody neck and found a weak pulse fluttering rapidly and unevenly against his hand.

That was not the worst injury though. Where the Jumper had been crushed due to the force of the engines pushing it into the ground, the hull had been torn into razor sharp metal. John was unsure how deeply the metal was embedded in Rodney's side as it gouged into him and he did not dare try and move the scientist to find out.

Rodney was facing into the rear compartment and it looked to John as though the metal was jabbed into his chest and side through his tac vest. Rodney's arm was clearly broken too where he was lying on it, but that was the least of John's worries. He glanced at his watch quickly; they were already overdue by several hours. Where was the rescue team?

John stepped over Rodney's prone form and carefully made his way into the rear compartment over the broken deck plating, protruding metal and shattered bulkheads. He fought the medical kit free from the twisted interior hull where it had buckled and trapped the gear in the nets.

He went outside again and knelt down behind Rodney's back as he contemplated what to do. He pulled the oxygen tank and mask out of the kit and laid it over Rodney's face. He carefully pulled the strap around behind McKay's head to avoid the cut.

He looked at the metal where it was slicing into him and grimaced. He could see a dark red tint where blood was steadily leaking out of him and running down the sharp hull. John pulled all the bandages out of the medical kit and packed them in against Rodney's chest and side where the continuous line of metal was cutting him.

He then wrapped a bandage around the man's head securely without moving him too much.

Rodney's face twitched briefly and he drew in a short sharp breath and held it. John laid a hand on Rodney's face and said, "Hang in there, Rodney and we'll soon have you back on Atlantis in the hands of Dr Keller."

Rodney released his breath in pain and kept his eyes firmly closed as he mumbled through the mask, "What happened?"

John grimaced and said, "We crashed. Don't try to move in the slightest."

McKay grunted and moaned, "I have no intention of doing that. I can hardly breathe; it hurts so much!"

"I know, Rodney. Try not to think about it and focus on your breathing."

Rodney drew in shallow and noisy breaths in pants, "Kind of hard… not to think about it. I'm going to… die aren't I?"

John set his face in a steely expression and skirted around Rodney's question, "The rescue team will be here soon." His hand left Rodney's face and he took hold of McKay's free hand in his own where it lay over the metal which disappeared as it stuck into him. He squeezed it gently and said, "Listen to my voice and stay alert until they arrive."

He held Rodney's hand tightly to stop him from moving it down and finding out the extent of his injuries. John knew it would send him into spasms of panic and compound his pain to breaking point before probably killing him.

He had already seen too many good men die in agony front of him and he was not about to lose another one. "Come on, McKay! You can only sleep if you promise me you'll wake up again!"

"Can't make… that promise… John," he gasped quietly.

Rodney shivered and cried out weakly as his body trembled and involuntarily tried to curl and squirm against the pain. Blood soaked through the bandages against him as he shuddered. John could do nothing but look on and wince in sympathy as his friend rode out the breathtaking pain he was enduring.

John's hand was being crushed in Rodney's grip and he grimaced as it felt like his fingers were being squashed into jelly as McKay found an outlet for his pain. John did not want to pry away the clutching hand, even though it hurt him. Rodney tensed up one last time and then his scrunched up face completely relaxed as he lost consciousness.

John's hand screamed at him as Rodney's grasp loosened and his arm flopped down onto the metal in front of him again.

John wished Teyla and Ronon had come with them, but Ronon had escorted Teyla to the Athosian settlement so that she could check in with them. He could have run back to the gate by now or asked one of them to. It was only a few miles away, but John did not dare leave Rodney alone for a minute, in case he died. John did not want him to die alone, even if he was unconscious the whole time.

John was losing hope that Rodney was going to survive for very much longer, when suddenly his radio activated.

"_Atlantis to Sheppard and McKay."_

John could have cried in relief, but Rodney was still weakening through the terrible trauma he was suffering, "This is Sheppard. I have a medical emergency. Our Jumper's been destroyed. McKay needs Dr Keller and a full medical team. We also need some welding and cutting gear."

"_Acknowledged, Colonel."_

There was a brief pause before another voice spoke, _"John, this is Dr Keller. Can you tell me about Rodney's condition?"_

John grimaced as he peered down at McKay's pale face. Sheppard was holding his damaged hand against his chest and reached forwards with his other hand and placed his fingers on Rodney's neck again. He then said, "He's alive, but seriously injured. Part of the Jumper hull is imbedded in his chest and side and his arm's broken. He also has a head injury. I can't see anything else…" John struggled to hold back a sob in his throat, but he quickly swallowed it before he spoke again in an even and calm voice which sounded strange to him, "I haven't been able to move him or stop the bleeding."

Jennifer sounded shocked, _"I'm getting my gear and team together now. Hang in there, John. We'll be with you very soon."_

Sheppard frowned at her concern for him when she should only be thinking about saving Rodney right now. He rested his uninjured hand on Rodney's shoulder to avoid further damage if the man woke up and decided he needed to inflict pain again in an effort to try and lessen his own.

He said, "Did you hear that, Rodney? Jennifer will be here soon to take care of you."

Rodney's face remained slack as he continued to bleed, but his heart refused to stop beating despite his current weakness and the injuries.

John squeezed the other man's shoulder gently and continued to speak, "You know, Jennifer will be upset if you give up on us, Rodney. If you need to find the strength to stay alive for anyone, let it be her."

John furrowed his brow in sadness as Rodney remained unconscious. He thought maybe it was better that McKay was unaware of his pain as the feeling would only make him move and hurt himself even more.

The whine of a Jumper's engines filled the air above John and Rodney. Sheppard's hand continued to rest against McKay's upper arm as he sat there with his friend. "There you go. We'll soon be home and you'll be in a nice cosy bed in the infirmary, annoying Keller more than I thought anyone could ever stand." John raised his eyebrows and he leant right in and whispered in Rodney's ear, "Don't know if you've noticed it, but she seems to enjoy it!"

John continued to sit there until firm hands pulled him away. They guided him away from Rodney despite his weak protests to stay behind as his own injuries suddenly caught him off guard and he could barely move anymore.

He was led into the rear compartment of the waiting Jumper and pushed down into a sitting position on the bench. He gazed blankly out of the rear hatch and watched as a squad of marines cut through the metal close to Rodney's prone form. Jennifer was crouched down next to him while other marines held IV fluid bags high above them.

John's eyes closed suddenly and he fell forwards as he passed out into the arms of the startled marine who had helped him to walk away from the crash site.

----------

On the way back to Atlantis, John woke up briefly. He gazed blearily around the rear compartment. Someone had laid him on his side on the rear bench and there was an oxygen mask blowing cool air against his face. He was covered in a blanket, but his bruised and aching hand was laid out over the top.

He peered across at the scene in front of him. Rodney was lying flat on the deck and strapped securely onto a backboard. There was a collar around his neck and one of the medical team was giving him a helping hand with breathing as they squeezed a bag connected to the mask over his face.

Jennifer was concentrating all of her efforts on the shard of metal protruding from his torso. The medical team had somehow managed to remove Rodney's vest and shirt and bandages were rolled around the metal where it was impaled diagonally into him.

John saw that Rodney's entire left arm was splinted and immobilised. He wondered tiredly how the scientist had managed to only hurt one of his arms. He started to drift off to sleep again when it struck him; Rodney had probably thrown up his arm in reflex in a vain attempt to prevent any other injuries.

John heard the sound of many people moving into the Jumper and the engines winding down just before he fell unconscious again.

----------

Rodney smirked across at John as they lay side by side in beds in the infirmary.

John had been gazing up at the ceiling, but he sensed Rodney's eyes on him and he turned his head and asked, "What?"

Rodney's smile broadened and he said annoyingly, "Oh, nothing."

John knew that he did not really need to still be in the infirmary, but was really milking Dr Keller's hospitality to remain there. Rodney's entire left arm, from the shoulder down to his hand, was in a cast. From what John had gathered, McKay still needed to spend quite some time in the infirmary to recover from his injuries.

John's hand was also bandaged and his ribs sometimes creaked if he breathed too deeply.

He was now frowning over at Rodney and asked again, "What is it, McKay?"

Rodney chuckled a little and flinched, "Oh, ow!" His smile was lost in the pain and when he opened his eyes again he looked dejected.

After a few minutes he asked his question, "I just wondered how many Puddle Jumpers you've totalled now, Sheppard?"

John furrowed his brow incredulously, "I'm not the only who crashes them, McKay. You've written off your fair share."

Rodney's mouth was open to speak, but John continued, "Zelenka was in here while you were sleeping earlier. He says he went back with Lorne and they grappled the wreckage back here."

"Any plans to weld it back together?"

"I suppose you didn't really see the state it was in after the crash. No, it's only good for spare parts."

"Oh," Rodney gazed up at the ceiling sadly. His face suddenly brightened and he asked, "What about the portal gun?"

John smiled, "Oh, _that's_ still intact. We don't have any way to recharge it though."

Rodney frowned and then closed his eyes as he mumbled, "I'll find a way. I don't think we should attach it to the Jumper again though…"

John nodded and closed his eyes too.

Both men were soon asleep and Jennifer came over and checked on them. She lingered by Rodney for a little longer than was necessary, before she walked away.

----------

_A/N – Um... ouch! Heheheh…_


	45. The End of the Runway

_Disclaimer – The usual…_

**The End of the Runway**

"Hurry it up, McKay!" John called out to Rodney, as the scientist hastily packed his gear into a large and very heavy rucksack.

"What?!" he squeaked indignantly. "You're not exactly helping me, Colonel."

John patted his P90 as he held it up and looked around the clearing where Rodney was working. He said righteously, "I'm covering you while you do whatever it is that you're doing. We're already an hour overdue and Weir's not going to be very happy with us."

Rodney muttered as he shoved the last of the power crystals back into his bag, "I know! I know! I'll have to analyse this data when we get back. It didn't really help much that we had to traipse all the way back to the Jumper to get the power we needed to interface my computer."

John smiled and said, "Would've been faster if you hadn't brought half of Atlantis with you in that rucksack."

Rodney shot him an offended look as he crammed the last of the loose leads into the bag. He grabbed the handle and made a large show of heaving it up and struggling to put it on.

John rolled his eyes and sighed.

"_Dr Weir to Colonel Sheppard."_

All of the colour drained out of John's face and he frowned unhappily at the man who had delayed them both. "Sheppard here, go ahead."

Rodney folded his arms over his chest and raised his chin as if daring John to say something about him to Elizabeth.

"_You're overdue. Is everything alright?"_

John relaxed his face and answered neutrally, "Sorry about that. We're fine. We, uh, got a little too engrossed in the artefact we found."

Rodney gave him a sour look.

_"Acknowledged, Colonel. Glad you are both okay. We'll give you another hour and check in again."_

John raised his eyebrows at Rodney, who was leaning forwards due to the weight of his rucksack and had unfolded his arms to grip the straps on his shoulders. John said with a smirk, "We should be back by then."

_"Understood. Atlantis out."_

John gave Rodney a stern look and said, "Come on, McKay. Let's get back before they send out the search parties."

Rodney huffed out an angry breath. He soon found that he could not speak because he needed all of his air to lug the heavy bag back to the nearby Jumper.

----------

"How much power did you use?" John asked Rodney in exasperation as he activated the engines after the scientist had finished reinstalling the crystals.

Rodney was looking down at his tablet and a slightly hurt frown creased his brow, "Enough to get the data and leave us plenty to get back to Atlantis!"

John piloted the Jumper off the ground and shook his head as he said, "I hope so…"

Rodney sighed sadly and rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand before he typed on his tablet distractedly. He glanced up out of the window at the flat rocky plane they were flying over and suddenly a light on the control panel caught his gaze.

His eyes widened, "Sheppard, why do you have the engines on full burn?"

John smiled, "We'll be back sooner and maybe lessen the telling off we're already heading for."

Rodney said in panic, "No no no no no! My power consumption calculation was based on having the engines on normal power. Full burn is so inefficient, Colonel. You should know that! There'll never be enough to get back now!"

John pointed out of the window where they were flying several hundred metres above the ground. He said in an infuriatingly calm and even voice to counteract Rodney's panic, "Look, there's the gate. We'll be _fine_."

Rodney squinted through the glass at the tiny circle on the horizon as the plane stretched on in front of them for many miles.

Right on cue, the engines both wound down as the Jumper lost power. John gripped the control sticks, but it was no use.

Rodney held his tongue as he was too scared to comment or say, _"I told you so,"_ as John tried in vain to steer the Jumper to avoid the sparse trees and boulders strewn along the ground.

Rodney cried, "Find a flat bit!"

John grimaced and said, "A nice runway? I'll see what I can do…"

Rodney braced himself and mumbled something about, "Parachutes," and, "Undercarriage wheels," just before the Jumper slammed into the ground. The inertial dampeners went offline as it dragged along the rocky plane. Both engine pods were torn off and the Jumper slowed as friction took its toll on the forward momentum of the ship.

It looked like it was going to stop without too much calamity, when it suddenly came to a large gap in the ground which had been invisible at altitude. It tilted frighteningly on the precipice for a moment like a rollercoaster at its deadly peak. It soon lost its battle with gravity and tipped over the edge of the cliff. The powerless metal spaceship fell into the ravine and there was a large splash as it landed in a subterranean river which had been exposed by the crack in the earth.

The force of the water pushed the Jumper along at an alarming lick and it rolled slightly as it crashed into the walls of the cavern the river was gouging in the rock. There were also large boulders in the water, but even as the Jumper received dents and scrapes they did not slow it down or stop it.

----------

Rodney groaned and opened his eyes. He was sprawled on the deck of the Jumper with Sheppard on top of him. He shoved the sleeping form and grimaced. "Uh," he gasped, "John, do you think you could get off me?"

Sheppard stirred and elbowed Rodney in the chest. McKay drew in a sharp breath and attempted to free himself, but to no avail. Blood was running down his face from a cut across his forehead. He snaked his hand under John so that he could rest it across his middle and curl his hand against his own side.

The Jumper was still moving, but it seemed to have left the worst of the rapids behind. Daylight was streaming through the window every now and then, when the Jumper breached the surface of the water as it was pushed along.

John blinked slowly as he regained consciousness. He quickly realised where he was and pushed himself off Rodney. McKay grunted and screwed his eyes tightly closed as he clutched his side more firmly.

John rubbed his head and flexed his limbs. He crouched down next to Rodney and said, "Um, sorry about that."

"It feels like twenty stone of John Sheppard just landed on my stomach."

"I'm not that heavy, McKay!"

"Well, it sure felt like it."

John grabbed a bandage and wrapped it around Rodney's head. He unzipped McKay's tac vest and he released a pained breath as the pressure on his chest was lessened. John inspected him for further visible damage, but could not find any.

He went and sat in the pilot's chair and the Jumper continued to roll gently as the water pushed it along. He touched the control panel, but nothing lit up for him even as he ran his fingers over the console experimentally.

He looked down at the man lying on the floor and furrowed his brow as he said, "Any chance of getting the engines back, McKay?"

Rodney just groaned and screwed his face up in pain.

John looked out of the window and his eyes widened in realisation as he saw something. "How about just getting the inertial dampeners online before we tip over the approaching waterfall in about thirty seconds?"

Rodney mumbled weakly, "Or we'll be turned into tomato purée?"

"Something like that," John replied as he crouched down and pulled Rodney up into a sitting position. McKay slowly moved his arm over John's shoulders and allowed himself to be heaved upright onto the unstable floor. The Jumper swayed alarmingly like a boat, but John had his feet firmly planted on the deck and sturdily supported the other man so that they remained standing.

John helped Rodney stagger into the rear compartment. McKay reached up with his free hand and pulled the control panel down with a shuddering breath. He lowered his arm down and clamped it over his abdomen. He winced and glanced blearily at the dull control crystals. None of the usual lights to show that they were active were apparent.

He sighed and crumpled at the waist as John lost his fight to hold him upright.

The Jumper then fell off the edge of the plane and dropped down the waterfall. Without any inertial dampeners or gravity plating, John and Rodney were thrown up towards the ceiling.

When the ship hit the bottom of the river's cascade it clipped a large rock which tore a hole in the side of the vessel. The Jumper then fell into the deep lake created by the thundering water.

Inside the Jumper, John was once again thrown into something soft and yielding as Rodney absorbed his fall and was crushed against the deck. Both men lost consciousness as the Jumper sunk beneath the surface of the lake and began to fill up with water.

----------

John was the first to awaken this time and he grimaced as he pushed himself off Rodney. There was water sloshing around on the deck and flowing into the craft through a scrape on one of the walls. Dull light streamed through the cracked windscreen from the surface of the lake a few metres above them and illuminated the interior of the ship enough to see.

Rodney lay unmoving on his front and did not show any sign of regaining consciousness any time soon. John checked McKay's pulse and when he found a weak and rapid one he breathed a sigh in relief.

The water was soaking through Rodney's clothes and John narrowed his eyes when he saw the water lapping around McKay's still form was turning red as it rose inside the craft.

John needed to work quickly as the water was getting deeper every minute he wasted. He carefully turned Rodney's head sideways so that he could breathe for a few more seconds. Blood dribbled from McKay's mouth as he lay there and landed in the water beneath him in a red swirl before it was diluted.

John needed to move the scientist or he would drown. He checked Rodney's arms and legs for fractures and did not find any obvious ones. He rolled Rodney over onto his back to give him a few more seconds to think. He needed to get them both away from the danger or they would die.

John grabbed the medical kit out of the overhead rack and slung the strap across his chest and pushed it around behind himself. He sat down behind Rodney with his back towards the rear hatch. The water was now ankle deep and there was no way of abating the constant stream as it flooded inside the Jumper from the many tiny holes and large scrapes in the hull.

John pulled Rodney up until he had his arm wrapped under McKay's arms and over his chest. He drew the limp frame of his friend up into a tight grip and said quietly, "Hold your breath, Rodney."

He then tugged the emergency hatch release lever on the deck and the partially flooded Jumper became a fully flooded one as water rapidly gushed inside and filled the craft.

John was shocked over how cold the water was. He kept his arm around Rodney's prone form and kicked his legs through the water as he dragged them both towards the surface which now seemed unreachably high above him.

The light got brighter as John felt himself being pulled down by the dead weight of his friend and the medical kit. His lungs were burning for air and he almost inhaled water before his head broke the surface. He pushed Rodney up to the air and was forced back under.

He lay out on his back so that both of them had their faces out of the water. He kicked until his legs ached and he thought he would never be able to use them again.

He soon felt the lake bed under his feet as the water became shallower. He planted his feet and pushed with all his might as he dragged Rodney out of the water and laid him out on the gravel beach at the edge of the water. He panted in exertion and found that he could hear the waterfall crashing down in a noisy torrent nearby.

He extricated himself from Rodney's limp and soaked form and pressed his fingers against the man's damp neck. As he moved his hand away, Rodney started to choke. John rolled McKay over onto his side quickly as he vomited water out onto the beach.

Rodney opened his eyes and grimaced as he choked. He inhaled a wheezing breath and whispered harshly, "The waterfall won?"

John nodded grimly and slowly moved Rodney down onto his back again, "The rescue team should be here soon."

McKay blinked slowly and lifted up one of his shaking hands to wipe his mouth. He then rested his arm over his midsection and closed his eyes again. He mumbled, "I'm cold," and trembled.

John was also soaked through and now that Rodney was breathing again, but still in danger he placed the med kit down and unclipped the case. He was glad that it was waterproof as he pulled out a couple of dry blankets and wrapped them both around Rodney.

McKay shivered violently and gritted his teeth. John held onto Rodney's shoulders firmly, but he continued to shake.

He did not have to wait long before the rescue Jumper flew over his head and then looped back around to land nearby on the beach. Carson walked out of the rear compartment with a full medical team flanked by some marines and came over to the two men.

John could have kissed the man in relief, but restrained himself. Carson set to work on removing the wet clothes from Rodney and wrapped him up in more thick blankets. They rolled him over and slid a stretcher under him. They quickly carried him into the rear compartment of the waiting Jumper as Major Lorne sat in the pilot's chair and waited for them to get inside.

Carson handed John a blanket and he slung it over his shoulders as he sat down heavily on the rear bench. Carson asked him, "What happened to your ship, Colonel?"

John gave him a small smile and said, "It didn't manage to jump over that last puddle."

Carson shook his head in bemusement and mumbled, "Ach," before he knelt down next to Rodney and carried on working.

----------

"So, John, how _did_ you miss that hundred metre drop?"

Sheppard was sitting next to Rodney in the infirmary and replied indignantly, "I was more concerned about missing the trees and rocks!"

"I thought it would've been fairly obvious." Rodney's hand was resting on his midsection and there was a row of stitches across his forehead.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have used all the Jumper's power to download that data."

Rodney opened his mouth to give John an angry and heated reply, but Sheppard quickly continued, "But I'm not blaming you, Rodney."

McKay closed his mouth and then his eyes slid shut. He mumbled, "It was a complete waste of time anyway."

John frowned, "How come?"

Rodney narrowly opened his eyes in disappointment and pain, "When we were finally able to decode the data I got, it turns out it was only a whole load of schematics for bathroom appliances."

"Useful…" John said with a wry smile.

"Yes, wonderful! If you live in the middle of a forest on some desolate backwater of a planet…"

John gestured with his hand and said, "Maybe the Ancients were going to build an outpost there and left their blueprints behind."

Rodney smirked and closed his eyes, "For a thousand bathrooms? Sounds interesting…"

John grinned and picked up his book as he remained by Rodney's side.

----------

_A/N - More to follow very soon..._


	46. Monster Munch

_A/N – My cat does inspire me so…(!)_

**Monster Munch**

"Wait a minute!" Rodney said as he sat in the co-pilot's chair in the Puddle Jumper. He held up his hand too for added effect.

"What is it, McKay?" Ronon asked.

"Hmm," Rodney typed on his laptop and looked up to where John had activated the HUD.

There was a large, brightly lit blob in one corner of the display.

"Is that a lifesign?" Teyla asked.

Rodney said, "I'm not sure. It may be a large collection of lifesigns interfering with the sensors and making it look like one large reading."

John said with a smile, "Let's go and check it out."

"Look, there's another one," Ronon said as he pointed to a second patch on the HUD about a mile away from the other one.

John looped the Jumper around and pointed it towards the first reading. They were flying above the clouds and the sun shone brightly through the windscreen from the dark blue sky above them. There were only small puffs of cloud underneath them and huge and steep rocky sloped mountains dominated the entire landscape as it sped by.

John tilted the nose of the Jumper down towards one of them and Ronon asked incredulously, "Is that it? It just looks like another mountain."

Rodney frowned, "Yes, I know. Maybe the sensors are malfunctioning or there's a mineral in the rock which is interfering with the reading. Put us down and I'll get some samples for the geologists back on Atlantis."

Teyla had a slightly anxious face, but did not speak as John found an area flat enough to land the Jumper so that they could investigate.

Rodney followed Teyla and Ronon out of the rear hatch with John behind him. He was carrying a large sample case. The air was cool, but bright and clear at the altitude where they had landed.

Rodney soon held his head and wheezed, "I feel a little bit strange."

Ronon nodded, "High altitude. It'll pass."

John and Teyla also looked queasy and Sheppard said, "Just hurry up and get what you need and then we can head back."

Rodney set his face grimly and stopped. He looked down at the ground and frowned. The surface of the mountain was brown rock. He suddenly jumped up and down experimentally. He pitched over slightly and landed on Teyla after the second jump.

She squeaked in fright and was nearly bowled over by the falling scientist. She shoved him away indignantly.

Ronon smirked, but John was watching with his eyebrows raised and asked, "McKay! What the hell was that?"

Rodney's eyes darted nervously between his team mates and he pointed his foot down to press his toes against the ground. His foot sunk a little way into the slightly spongy surface and he nodded, "I don't think this is rock, Colonel. It has a slightly sprung quality about it."

He crouched down and opened the case. He unsheathed the knife on his belt and jabbed it into the mountain surface and levered up a few pieces of the brown material covering the ground. He dropped them into sample cases and then stabbed the knife into the ground again with a frown.

He said, "I really shouldn't be able to do that." He left the knife sticking out of the ground and pulled out his scanner. He stood up straight and turned around in a circle.

He was about to speak when a sudden earthquake had the whole team sprawled out on the ground after the first couple of shakes. Rodney slipped and landed on the hilt of the knife. It struck his back and pushed the knife further into the surface. He grimaced and reached around behind himself and rubbed the area just below his ribs.

He mumbled sadly, "That's going to leave a hell of a bruise."

John shouted, "Everyone back to the Jumper!" as the ground continued to shake. He pushed himself up onto all fours, but he rolled over onto his side after another jolt.

Rodney did not even try to get up, even as Teyla and Ronon managed to stand for a moment before they fell over again. He lay completely flat on his back and grimaced.

He suddenly called in panic and pointed up at the sky, "What the hell is that?!"

There was a large wave of rock passing over the surface of the mountain and as he watched it came towards him. The approaching end appeared to be pointed and it landed only a few metres away from Rodney with a crash and sent a rippling shockwave towards him.

John quickly rolled over next to Rodney and grabbed the hilt of Rodney's knife and tugged it out of the ground. McKay gave him a questioning look, but did not have time to speak before the wave stretched up above him and came down even closer. It dragged along the ground and hit him in the side.

Rodney cried out as he was shoved into John, Teyla and Ronon as they lay nearby. The ground rumbled noisily just before the pushing wave of rock stopped and went back the other way with a loud scraping sound.

The wave suddenly stopped moving and the ground seemed to sink down rapidly. A short distance away, the Jumper skittered along the surface and threatened to pitch over the edge of a nearby cliff.

The earthquake suddenly stopped with a loud sighing sound, like a strong gale and the ground rose back up to where it had been and became still.

Rodney was shaking in pain and holding his side with his eyes tightly closed. John was unconscious and there was a nasty cut on the side of his head which leaked blood out into his hair.

Ronon was covered in grazes where he was not wearing any protective clothing over his bare arms. Teyla dabbed a cut on her leg gingerly and winced.

She ignored her own cut and grabbed a bandage from her vest. She wrapped it around John's head and turned to Ronon as she asked, "Are you alright?"

Ronon nodded, but Rodney thought she had asked him, "Not really! I just got hit by a wall of rock. I think it just crushed half of my internal organs. Not to mention a Satedan elbow in the gut and an Athosian kick in the chest."

Ronon and Teyla shared a look which was both slightly exasperated and guilty.

Ronon finished tying off a bandage around Teyla's leg and stayed next to John as she went over to Rodney. She sat down next to him so that her cut leg was out to the side. She reached across his chest and unzipped his tac vest. She frowned at the growing damp patch she saw spreading out over his shirt close to his hip. She carefully lifted the material away and drew in a sharp breath.

Rodney opened his eyes and furrowed his brow at Teyla's shocked expression. He asked, "How bad is it?"

She said, "Where is the knife?"

"Oh," Rodney muttered in a small voice.

Ronon pointed to the ground next to them and said, "There. It's…" he stopped as Teyla grabbed it and held it up.

Rodney looked away when he saw the blade was red with blood. He mumbled, "Sheppard stabbed me?"

There was no reply from John as he remained unconscious. Teyla filled in the silence, "Not intentionally."

She pulled a bandage out of Rodney's open tac vest and pressed it down against his side. He whimpered and sucked in breaths noisily through his teeth. Teyla wound the bandage around him and said, "We need to get back to Atlantis. Ronon, can you carry John? I will support Rodney."

"Support? Oh, no no! I'm fine just to lie here, thanks."

Teyla ignored his comment as she pulled him upright and he leant heavily on her shoulders. She curled her hand around his waist as he limped slowly and placed his free hand over the bandage on his side with a grimace.

Ronon reached the Jumper first and lay John down on the deck in the rear compartment.

The earthquake started again just before Teyla and Rodney reached the rear hatch. It was less severe than before and they managed to stay upright. Teyla wrapped her other arm around Rodney's chest in a hug to keep him standing as he cried out in pain over the movement and threatened to pitch over.

The wall of rock came at them again and the sharp end headed towards the Jumper. Ronon ran over to them, nimbly jumping to keep his balance on the unstable ground.

The end of the wave of rock went in between Ronon and Teyla who was with Rodney. It moved swiftly backwards and hit Rodney's legs. It went right underneath him and took him down with Teyla still trying in vain to hold him up, before it rolled away from them and vanished as the earthquake stopped.

Rodney fell forwards with a cry and landed heavily on the edge of the rear hatch he had been so close to. Teyla untangled herself from him and Ronon dragged him into the rear compartment.

Ronon said, "We need to get out of here!"

Rodney was close to passing out and barely moved as Ronon moved down to check his legs. Teyla crawled into the Jumper, looking quite dazed and sat down next to John. She grabbed his hand before she looked up and stared vacantly over him at the bench.

Ronon felt along Rodney's legs gently and McKay shook and cried out in pain when Ronon touched his left leg. Ronon then lifted Rodney's shirt and rested his hand on the blood soaked bandage on his side. He moved his hand away after a moment and grabbed another bandage from the medical kit and pressed it down.

Rodney grabbed hold of Ronon's wrist and screwed up his face as he curled up slightly against the pressing hand. He said raggedly, "Stop! Please, stop!"

"I can't, McKay. I need to slow the bleeding so that you can fly us out of here."

"John…?"

"Is unconscious with a head injury." Ronon looked over at Teyla as she continued to stare at the wall. She blinked slowly and then gazed down at her hand where she was grasping John's.

"Teyla looks a little worse for wear too."

Rodney's lips parted and he snorted incredulously which made him flinch, "So a broken leg and a stab wound are better?"

Ronon tied off the second bandage and mumbled, "You can still talk, McKay, so that makes you one of the better ones."

The Satedan glanced around the interior of the Jumper, looking for something. He stood up and rummaged around the overhead nets and growled. He then unclipped the sword on his back in its sheath and glanced down at the frightened blue eyes peering up at him from the floor.

"What are you going to do with that?" He asked in a broken and high pitched whisper.

"Splint," Ronon answered simply and placed it against Rodney's lower leg.

Rodney cried out and bunched his hands into fists as Ronon secured the sword to the side of his leg with a roll of bandaging. He muttered, "Medieval medicine has always been a favourite topic of mine," his voice then trailed off and was lost in pained gasps.

Ronon grabbed his arm and pulled him upright. Rodney nearly fell over, so Ronon practically carried him into the cockpit and lowered him into the pilot's chair.

The earthquake started again.

Rodney's pain filled and shattered mind barely managed to activate the inertial dampeners in time before the worst of the quake hit them. He screwed up his face in concentration to try and activate the engines. They faltered before he managed to fully turn them on and flew up from the ground at an agonisingly slow speed.

A wall of rock followed them from the surface and hit the tiny ship as it tried to get away. It enveloped the craft and crushed down against the flimsy metal. Rodney did not have the concentration required to activate the shields in time. The ceiling of the Jumper caved in alarmingly and the windscreen smashed inwards under the pressure. He covered his head as the glass showered both him and Ronon in the cockpit.

As he spoke he glanced down at the darkening control panel as his blood dripped down all over the display. He wiped it away with an angry sigh as he could not see the readout.

He gritted his teeth and shouted across at Ronon above the whistling wind, "One of the engine pods has been destroyed. I've diverted as much power as I can to the other one, but it's not enough. Power is still leaking out of the damaged circuits on the outside of the Jumper. I need you to fix it from the rear compartment."

His brow creased and he grimaced as he pressed his hand firmly against the knife wound on his side. Ronon got up and dashed into the rear compartment.

Teyla was still conscious, nodded at him and slurred, "John is fine."

Before he could start working, the crushing rock disappeared and the open windscreen of the Jumper showed a terrifying view of a mountain sized monster of some variety. It was covered in what they had thought of as walls of wavering rock. It turned out that they were the arms of the creature and it had far too many of them. One of them retracted into the side of the creature as what appeared to be a huge head watched them carefully.

Ronon said, "No wonder it got upset when you used that knife on it."

"Like an insect sting? So it was itchy and it scratched itself. Probably thinks we're an annoying bee or something as equally awful now."

The nose of the Jumper pitched down towards the ground as he spoke and Rodney grunted. He said tiredly to Ronon, "Move the third crystal in the bottom row and swap it with the one fourth on the right in the second row down. That should deactivate the leaky power conduits and route them to the remaining engine."

Ronon frowned as he reached up and pulled down the crystal tray and tried to remember what McKay had told him to do. He swapped a couple of the crystals around and there was a panicked cry from the cockpit as the Jumper spun down.

Rodney shouted thickly, "_Second_ row down!"

Ronon hastily corrected his error and the whine from the remaining engine came loudly through the open windscreen as the Jumper sped up into the sky. There was a howling wind blasting inside the ship from the window as Rodney flew it on a rather drunken and weaving course over the monster mountain.

The hand-like claws of the creature swatted the side of the Jumper trying to knock it out of the sky in vain before grabbing it again. It lifted the craft up and bit down on the front section, where Rodney was sitting, like it was a chew toy.

He yelped in fright and covered his head with both of his arms as he waited to be crushed.

A massive tooth came through the ceiling and punched through the co-pilot's chair before there was a deafening crack and roar. The tooth remained inside the Jumper as the monster pulled the craft out of its mouth and shook it savagely in its hand as it failed to get to the tasty treat inside.

Rodney hunched over the control panel and trembled violently in fear and pain as the blasts of air from the open window rolled over him. His breaths came in pants as he clamped his arm against his side and held onto the console for dear life with his other hand so that he did not fall out of the open windscreen.

Ronon shouted, "Drones!" from where he had fallen onto the floor in the rear compartment.

Rodney moved his arm up and wrapped it around his chest as he looked blearily down at the blood stained control panel. He saw that one of the drone launchers was free from the creature's hand and he fired one of the weapons into the monster's face.

There was an even louder roar as the drone exploded on the side of its head. It let go of the Jumper and there was a loud rumble as it put its hand over the injury.

It shook one of its many fists in fury at the Jumper as Rodney gritted his teeth through the pain. He blocked out and ignored as much as was possible to get them back to the gate, not only for his sake, but for Ronon, Teyla and John's too.

He finally managed to get it away from the creature and it seemed the monster was too large to follow them or could not be bothered as it collapsed down with a loud sigh and became like a mountain again.

Rodney gritted his teeth and held his hand firmly against his side. Ronon came back over to him and sat behind him, as he could not get around due to the broken tooth invading the cockpit.

Ronon held Rodney's shoulders in a reassuring grip and mumbled into his ear, "Stay awake, McKay. We're nearly there."

Rodney took strength from the hands on him and narrowed his intense eyes against the rushing wind as he frowned in determination through the pain.

He said to Ronon, "Can you dial it? Only, I think if I reach across it'll be the last thing I ever do."

Ronon squeezed his shoulders in an affirmative and leant over to press the symbols around the curve of the tooth. He said, "Will we be able to get through the gate with this thing imbedded in the Jumper?"

Rodney gazed at the control console and nodded, "Yes, but the drive pod won't retract. We won't get stuck though, because the left one is completely missing."

Rodney saw that his angle was a little off on the approach to the gate and he cried, "Clear the Gate Room!" in panic just as the Jumper hit the blue circle. The single remaining drive pod was torn off when it caught the side of the stargate.

----------

The marines standing close to the gate only just managed to clear out of the way as the engineless, dented, scraped and partially crushed Jumper fell through the gate and hit the stairs with a loud crash. It had turned sideways under inertia due to its impact to the side of the gate on the other side. It fell back and rolled onto its roof before it became still with a loud and unnerving groaning creak.

The gate technician was already calling for emergency medical and cutting and welding teams as he saw the extent of the carnage below him. Several of the stairs were smashed and there were no signs of life or sounds coming from the vessel.

The marines approached the ship and tried in vain to open the rear hatch. Instead they used the smashed window as an entry point. The tooth obstructed their way inside.

They soon found two crumpled and bleeding forms lying unmoving in what remained of the cockpit and another two in the rear compartment

The welding team made short work of the buckled rear hatch. Jennifer had already braved the danger and was performing triage on the unconscious occupants of the Jumper with one of her medical teams, while the others waited outside.

As the hatch fell away, she beckoned them into the cockpit and over to Rodney. She then moved onto John, Ronon and Teyla and soon they were all strapped onto gurneys and heading down to the infirmary.

She announced into her radio as she walked beside Rodney, "Prep the OR, Dr McKay has a penetrating stab wound to his lower abdomen; he's lost a lot of blood. He's also got a broken leg and fractured ribs."

As they stepped into the transporter, she looked down sadly at Rodney's pale face where the breathing tube was coming out of his mouth. There was a strap across his forehead and a collar held his head and neck immobile. She tapped the screen for the infirmary and vanished along with her precious charge and team as they were sent over to their destination.

----------

Rodney was unconscious for several days after his surgery while his life hung in the balance. Although his strength continued to return and Jennifer would keep telling him how well he was doing and what excellent progress he was making. His pale face remained unresponsive in the intensive care area of the infirmary as she spoke to him.

The rest of his team had already been released with varying degrees of concussion, cuts and bruises. She had kept them all in overnight and John remained sedated for a couple of days to make sure there were no complications from the head injury he received.

As Jennifer left the room where Rodney was, she nodded at his team while they waited. She said, "Just a few minutes. He's been awake, but he's still very weak."

John, Teyla and Ronon crowded around Rodney's bed and looked down sadly at him. His leg was raised in a cast and thick bandages were wrapped around his midsection all the way up to his chest. There were some stitched cuts on his face and bare arms from the glass.

John furrowed his brow and then winced and held the side of his head. He said to Rodney, "I'm really sorry buddy! I was the one who stabbed you!"

Teyla frowned across at John and Ronon looked on impassively.

"S'okay, John…" a quiet voice emanated from the man in front of them.

Teyla reached down and took Rodney's hand in hers as Ronon held onto McKay's shoulder. John could only stand to look down into Rodney's narrowly opened eyes for a moment, but then his guilt overwhelmed him and he looked away.

Rodney moved his other hand up and rested it over the bandages and winced. He screwed his eyes up tightly for a moment before he opened them again. "It wasn't your fault. I should've seen the danger as soon as we got there."

Teyla furrowed her brow, "Do not worry about it, Rodney. We did not realise either. Just concentrate all your strength on healing."

Ronon said in a mumble, "We got a hell of a sample for some of your guys to analyse."

"Oh, the zoologists? Bet they're having fun!"

John was emboldened by Rodney's dismissive nature and instant acceptance of his apology. He went over and took Ronon's place to gently squeeze Rodney's shoulder. "The Gate Room's a bit of a mess though, McKay!"

Rodney frowned in confusion, "I don't remember anything very clearly after we escaped the monster."

"I was only knocked out for a few minutes and you broke my ship, McKay! Seriously, that's the last time I let you drive the team home."

Rodney smiled and snorted a laugh before he flinched in pain and huffed out a breath with his eyes closed. He trembled slightly and Teyla held his hand more firmly.

Jennifer returned and ushered the team away from her patient before they caused any permanent damage. She gave Rodney some more painkillers and he drifted away into sleep.

----------

_A/N –I incorporated **voyfan7**'s challenge in this one (a chapter where Rodney has to fly and rely on somebody else to fix the ship)_


	47. The Bus Ride Home

_A/N – Because I've been getting the bus every day for 13 years now…_

**The Bus Ride Home**

Rodney stood with his arms folded over his chest as one of his minions scurried about in front of him. He was supervising a research mission on P3T-210, where they had found a large Ancient outpost partially buried under a rockfall. He stood in the dimly lit central control room near the top of the base. It was a circular area with many control panels around the edge and in the middle.

Since the initial survey by SGA3 a few days previously, they had set up a collection of tents and brought plenty of supplies to last them while they worked. Rodney had split the ten other scientists into teams along with the marines who had escorted them. In total there were 25 people on the planet.

Rodney scowled as the scientist dropped something and he huffed out an angry sigh. "Delicate, ten thousand year old equipment, Parry!"

The man looked over at McKay with an indignant face, "It's Dr _Harry_ Richardson."

Rodney frowned and mumbled, "Whatever." He shook his head and returned his gaze to the control panel he was working on.

He was studying a map of the facility. There was a small amount of power which enabled him to see that over half of the structure had caved in or inaccessible due to seismic activity. He still smiled when he saw the sheer number of labs on the outpost and felt excitement rolling though him as to what they might find.

Suddenly the ground savagely jolted to one side and then back to the other. Rodney was taken completely off guard as he leant over the control panel and he fell over. He knocked his chest on the edge of the panel, before landing heavily on his outstretched arm.

He stayed on the floor and panted in pain until the earthquake stopped. He drew his arm up, laid it over his chest and winced.

_"Sheppard to McKay."_

Rodney groaned and reached up with his uninjured hand to tap his radio, "McKay. What're you doing here?" he gasped.

_"Nice to hear your voice too, Rodney. Is everyone alright down there?"_

McKay just closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth.

_"Rodney? We need to leave, now. I just spoke with one of the geologists when we checked in and he said this whole plateau has suddenly become dangerously unstable. We brought a couple of Jumpers to do an emergency evacuation."_

Rodney mumbled tiredly, "You wait a day for a Jumper and two come at once…?"

Rodney felt something touching his arm and he opened his eyes. It was Dr Richardson and he had a worried face as he looked down at Rodney's wrist. Two marines soon joined them and one tapped his radio, "Medic to the control centre."

Sheppard must have heard it over the open channel and he reiterated his previous comment, _"There isn't enough time! We've only got about five minutes before this entire ridge collapses. It'll take everything with it, the outpost and everyone still left behind."_

Rodney opened his watering eyes and mumbled, "But you've only got two Jumpers here, Sheppard! How are we going to get away with all of our equipment?"

_"Just get yourself up here and let me worry about that."_

Rodney clutched his damaged limb over his chest more firmly as the marines helped him upright. One of them tried to support him, but Rodney winced and snapped, "Ow! What're you doing? I've got broken ribs too!"

The marine stood back and helped his colleague herd the two scientists out of the room. Rodney was very reluctant to leave and at the doorway, he turned around and tried to walk back into the room.

One of the marines held out his arm, "Dr McKay, you heard the Colonel, we need to leave."

Rodney walked into the outstretched arm and cried out weakly as it tapped his injured arm. He furrowed his brow and said in a trembling voice, "My computer… at least get… my computer."

The marine went back and grabbed it. He nodded at McKay and they turned around and left the room.

As they walked up the steps towards the surface, there was another strong earthquake. The marines pushed both scientists down to the floor to prevent them from falling over. Rodney curled up and covered his head with his free hand until the ground had stopped moving under him.

He let the marines pull him up again and he staggered slightly before they moved onwards.

----------

There was another earthquake as Rodney reached the surface and stepped out into the sunlight. He fell over again and yelped as it jarred his injuries. He narrowly opened his eyes where he lay and watched in horror as one of the two Jumpers parked on the rocky ground a few metres away seemed to drop down and vanish into the ground.

There was a loud shout of, "Oh, crap!" from close at hand.

Rodney soon felt strong hands grabbing his shoulders. He released a pained sound in his throat as the person heaved him upright and forced him to move his legs at an unstable run across the shifting earth over towards the other Jumper.

He turned back to see that it was Sheppard and his eyes then widened as he watched the ground behind them collapsing and falling as the rock twisted and cracked under the strain of the quake. It fell away, right up to the point where he had been laying a few seconds ago. The noise was incredible and all that Rodney could hear was the sound of crashing rocks and destruction as the earth fell away.

Ahead of him, Rodney saw the vague outlines of the marines and Richardson. He could hardly see through his blurry vision as his eyes watered from the blinding pain in his arm and chest which was making tears leak down his face. He let Sheppard bundle him into the rear compartment of the Jumper and push him down onto the bench.

The earthquake continued and Rodney hunched over on the seat and grimaced as his whole body shook. He could hear many pairs of feet clanking against the deck plating in front of him and he was soon pushed back where he was sitting against the bulkhead behind him. John was sitting next to him with an intense expression.

He gestured at Rodney's arm over his chest and quickly asked, "What happened?"

One of the marines, who had been with Rodney in the control room, spoke, "I think he's broken his wrist and he was complaining about broken ribs too."

Rodney curled his lip in a snarl and said, "Complaining? I can hardly breathe it hurts so much."

John furrowed his brow and looked around the small interior of the Jumper as more people rushed inside. He said, "Rodney, I know it hurts, but you've got to route all the non-essential power to the engines and life support systems for me. Otherwise, we won't be able to lift off the ground before it falls away from beneath us. Use the inertial dampeners, we don't really need them, I'll fly it as smoothly as I can."

Rodney looked confused and glanced around the Jumper at the people all watching him in pity and hope. Marines where hastily opening the cargo nets and throwing as much gear as they could out of the rear hatch to lessen the weight of the ship.

Rodney's eyes widened and he muttered sadly, "Where's my computer?"

John grabbed Rodney's shoulders more firmly and shook him slightly until the injured man scrunched up his face in pain and released a heavy breath. "Lives are more important than data and artefacts, McKay. Route the power and then we can get out of here."

John pulled Rodney upright and then passed him to a marine. He then pushed his way through the people now jammed into the Jumper as they stood in close quarters.

He called out to all the occupants from the pilot's seat a few seconds later, "That's everyone! Is all the non-essential gear out the rear hatch?"

"Yes, Sir!" someone shouted.

Rodney winced as he was shoved through the people crammed like sardines in the rear compartment. Several elbows hit him and jostled his arm so much that he felt himself flagging and feeling terribly sick from the nausea inducing agony.

He cried, "Move!" to the people in the way, but his usual authoritative tone was missing. His voice sounded terribly weak and shaky. No one was able to obey anyway, due to the lack of space.

The marine's firm grasp under his arms kept him upright. Although there were so many people tightly packed into the Jumper, he did not think he could fall over even it he wanted to. Some sat on the benches with their legs drawn up. They had difficulty moving out of the way to allow his slow progress towards the crystal tray in the rear compartment and Rodney was starting to feel like he was being crushed as he was pushed onwards by the hands on his back.

He mumbled angrily, "You'll be lucky if I'm in any condition to fix the ship by the time we reach our destination."

Sheppard called out again, "Brace yourselves!"

Rodney did not have anything to brace against or grab as another earthquake tore through the ground and shook the Jumper. Sheppard had obviously activated the inertial dampeners, but it still made the occupants sway and struggle to stay upright. Rodney got another elbow in the side and someone stumbled backwards into him and he cried out when they hit his arm.

The marine reached up and pulled down the crystal tray. He looked at Rodney with a slightly fearful expression and said, "Work!"

McKay shot him a withering glare and then sighed as he stretched up his uninjured arm to swap the crystals. He passed some to the marine and put another one in his mouth as he worked. He frowned and nearly bit the crystal in his mouth in half at the pain of the movements he was being forced to make while he was hurt.

He soon finished and shouted, "It's done! I rerouted power from the inertial dampeners, gravity plating, drones and shields."

He thought he heard an exasperated comment, "At last… not a moment too soon."

Rodney sighed sadly and sagged down towards the deck. The marine helped him to sit down on the bench and stood covering him as the craft jolted and the occupants swayed alarmingly without the inertial dampeners working properly.

The Jumper lifted off the ground slowly and the engines whined loudly under the strain. The ground collapsed down in thunder and rubble as the most recent earthquake took its toll. Pieces of metal could be seen through the rock as they were crushed and torn under the weight of the crumbling earth.

The Jumper flew over the scene and the high pitched noise from the engines increased as it headed over to the gate on the planet.

----------

Inside the Jumper, Rodney's eyes slid shut and his brow creased in pain where he was sitting on the bench. He sighed sadly as someone stepped on his foot and released a pained breath when a flailing hand hit him in the face.

He tasted blood in his mouth and swayed as he sat on the bench surrounded by so many people shoehorned into one Jumper, he was surprised they had all managed to fit.

There was a sudden and violent jolt to one side and an unfortunate domino effect occurred as one person somewhere lost their footing. Several people called out in panic as they fell into each other, but could not fall right onto the deck as they were too tightly packed.

Rodney's head was hanging down and the marine standing sturdily in front of him was suddenly pushed forwards and fell onto Rodney as he sat there.

McKay felt something bash his head more heavily than the earlier hand. As his vision greyed, he felt another impact to his arm and chest as the marine fell over with the combined weight of the others in the rear compartment behind him.

Rodney experienced a huge amount of crushing pain and then blacked out.

----------

"Oh, no! '_Sure_, we don't need the inertial dampeners,' he said. My cracked ribs and aching head are now telling me otherwise."

John looked guiltily at Rodney in the infirmary and gestured down at his immobilised forearm as he said, "Not to mention your broken wrist."

Rodney sighed sadly and winced, "I'm sure it was made worse by your outstandingly smooth flying skills. I really need to practice my break falls, but it was mostly the fault of some of my incompetent underlings. The geologists in my department are going to have very sore ears when I finally get out of here and get through with them."

John smirked, "They're hiding from you."

"Any idea where? Keller said she would be letting me out this afternoon if I behave."

"Sooner if you don't?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and asked, "You'll have to take me to them and stand in the background looking menacing and angry while I tell them off for extra impact."

"I think you do a good enough job of that on your own without my help."

Rodney curled his free hand around the cast over his arm and looked away as he said, "They probably won't be too fazed by a man who can barely stand upright as he tells them off."

John smiled again, glad that he was no longer the focal point of Rodney's anger.

McKay shifted impatiently under the covers and screwed his eyes tightly closed briefly before he opened them again. He looked even more miserable than before and muttered, "All that data… lost! I wonder what the outpost was used for and what had been there."

John looked serious and patted Rodney's shoulder before he said quietly, "I don't care about the computers or equipment as long as everyone gets back safely."

"I wish I shared that feeling."

John suddenly gave him a stern look and frowned, "So you prefer technology to the lives of the people in your team?"

Rodney grimaced at John's misunderstanding and quickly dug himself out of the hole, "What? No! At least not anymore… I just wish I could have both sometimes."

John's face softened and he nodded. He said, "You know I had to fly that Jumper all the way back to the gate. It would've been better to have landed it somewhere, but the geologists said the whole continent had been destabilised by the landfall. Ripples were spreading out through the crust of the planet and we only just managed to outrun the worst of them in the Jumper."

Rodney narrowed his eyes and said, "Hence the wobbly flying and jolts."

"Yes. If we had landed, we would have either been destroyed…"

"Or the gate would've been sucked into the ground and unusable?" Rodney finished.

John leant back in his chair and sighed, "Precisely. Now you can understand the urgency."

Rodney smiled, sighed and closed his eyes tiredly. He mumbled, "Thank you."

"For what? I indirectly caused some of your injuries."

"For coming to get us, even though we lost _yet another_ Jumper in the process."

"Oh!" John said with a grimace. He sounded worried as he continued, "Zelenka's not very happy with me about that one. He says we need to find some more soon and he has a whole team of people now dedicated to repairing the ones we've damaged."

Rodney was drifting off to sleep and he muttered, "I'll have to check that out…"

----------

_A/N – Stuff like this happens every single day on the bus I get… and yes, those last two paragraphs are the basis of a possible future PJM story!_


	48. Sortie

_A/N – For **Iawen**, who requested a Major Lorne chapter…_

**Sortie**

"I should've gone with them," Rodney said sadly across the Briefing Room table. "They'd be alright then."

Major Lorne was sitting next to him and Elizabeth had her hands clasped on the table.

Lorne said, "I don't know, Dr McKay, more likely you would've been captured with them too."

Rodney scowled at him and then returned his gaze to Elizabeth's worried face. She said, "Are we sure that's what's happened to Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla?"

Lorne said, "Well the planet was in the state of an uneasy peace just before the trade negotiations…"

"Which they didn't need me for," Rodney cut in indignantly.

"…and even with Teyla they may just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and been captured that way. Oh and McKay…" he turned to Rodney who glared back at him.

Lorne eyed him impassively and continued, "…the last time you were there, I think everyone was lucky to escape with their lives."

"But they're primitive jungle dwellers, Major. They live by hunting monkeys and climbing trees."

"Not all of them. The people in the neighbouring country have stone work buildings and livestock."

"Oh, the giddy heights of modern technology! Who do you think captured my team?" Rodney asked with his eyes slightly wide in fear and worry.

"I'm not sure yet. That's why I propose to take a squad of marines in a Jumper and scope it out. See if we can get my CO back."

Elizabeth nodded and Rodney leant back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. He smiled and said, "Good luck with that."

Lorne ignored his comment and grinned back at him, "Dr McKay, I want you on my team."

Rodney's mouth opened and he muttered indignantly, "But I've got work to do!"

Elizabeth gave him a warning look and he sighed as he hung his head down in defeat, "Alright, alright. When do we leave?"

"ASAP. Report to the armoury in five minutes."

----------

"What the hell?" Rodney asked in a fearful voice as one of the burly marines in the armoury passed him a helmet. He zipped up his tac vest and clipped on a P90. He shook his head at the proffered headgear and said, "I'm not a soldier!"

Lorne could see there was trouble brewing and he came over and took the helmet from his team mate. He already had one on his head which was firmly strapped under his chin.

He gave Rodney a stern look and placed his hand on the scientist's shoulder. He guided him over to a corner out of earshot from his squad as they geared up. "I know you're not. But the Colonel would have my head if anything happened to you while you're in my team."

Rodney nervously picked at his tac vest and glanced down at himself as he wore exactly the same equipment, sans helmet, as the other marines, "They'll pick me off wearing all this stuff." His eyes widened as he gave Lorne an anxious look, "What if I'm captured? They'll treat me like one of you because they won't realise I'm a civilian! It'll be all questions and torture…" he trailed off with a grimace and looked at the ground.

Lorne took the opportunity to slap the helmet onto Rodney's head and as he tried to squirm away, the Major pulled the strap down and securely fastened it under Rodney's chin. He patted the top of the helmet affectionately and smiled as Rodney scowled back at him. "Well, we'll just have to make sure they get us first then, won't we?"

Rodney winced and reached up with one of his hands to work it under the strap cutting into his chin. Lorne frowned in concern and quickly loosened the strap. "There you go. All set."

Rodney gave him a lopsided smile and Lorne nodded and grinned at him. The Major then turned around and called out to the marines, "Okay people, let's move out!"

There were many calls of, "Yes, sir!" before they all left the room and headed up to the Jumper Bay.

----------

"Why am I here?" Rodney whined from the co-pilot's chair in the Jumper as it flew out of the gate and over the jungle.

Lorne turned to him as he piloted the ship and said calmly, "You're an Ancient gene carrier and a scientist. If Sheppard's been incapacitated, you can fly the other Jumper back. If whatever problem they've encountered is technological, you can sort that out as well."

Rodney shot Lorne an angry look and fiddled with the chin strap of his helmet again as he spoke, "Two for the price of one? Great, why don't I just try and train one of the marines to unlock doors. Oh, I forgot; they're all just a bunch of jarheads."

There were some indignant noises and growls from the men in the Jumper behind Rodney. Lorne raised his eyebrows and whispered, "Careful. Marines don't take too kindly to insults."

Rodney spun in his chair and attempted to glare at the people behind him. He was met by so many angry faces peering out from the rims of helmets that his face fell and he visibly shrunk down into his chair. He quickly turned back to look out of the window with a shaky sigh.

Lorne reasserted his authority to show the marines he was having none of Rodney's comments about him and his squad, "Make yourself useful, McKay. Are you reading anything?"

Rodney huffed out an annoyed breath and tapped on the control panel. The HUD flashed up and he squinted at it. "Trees and monkeys; another day in paradise. Oh, even better! It's forty degrees Celsius out there!"

"I don't want a weather report, McKay, but a Jumper and its three missing occupants."

"Working on it," Rodney muttered through his gritted teeth. He pushed up the helmet as it fell down over his eyes and glared at the display. After a few seconds he pointed at a reading and called out excitedly, "There. The Jumper!"

Lorne turned their own ship to intercept and then he narrowed his eyes, "There are no lifesigns nearby. I think we should get our people back first. We can pick up the ship later."

McKay nodded and the helmet slipped down to his nose again so that he could not see. He sighed angrily as he pushed it up. "There's a building near the Jumper. I'm reading three subcutaneous transponders there."

Lorne zoomed the HUD into the building and scanned it. The structure spun around as the display animated it from above and then sideways. It was a square building, two storeys high and there was a large courtyard in the middle.

Rodney narrowed his eyes, "Looks like a prison."

"How about we orchestrate a breakout?"

Lorne suddenly started barking out orders to the marines in the back of the Jumper. Rodney flinched away from him as he shouted. He vaguely heard a plan about landing in the middle of the courtyard and stunning everything in sight from the cloaked Jumper before they stormed the complex to get John, Teyla and Ronon back. Rodney did not like the sound of the plan and as usual, he let his feelings be known.

"Isn't that a little bit dangerous? What if they've got guns or, or pointy knives?"

Lorne glared at him undermining his authority and said, "We're got an invisible ship, McKay. Guns, stunners, drones." He tipped his head towards Rodney's, "Helmets. What could possibly go wrong?"

Rodney's eyes widened, "_Everything_ now that you've said that!"

Lorne turned his gaze back to the front of the Jumper and sighed in exasperation as he lowered it down towards the courtyard. He turned to Rodney and said, "Stay in the Jumper. I'll leave Corporal Mullens with you."

The Corporal did not look pleased with the prospect and fingered the trigger of his P90 dangerously. Rodney looked at him with fearful eyes and grimaced. The effect was ruined by the helmet slipping down over his face again. He growled and pushed it up savagely.

Lorne smiled at him, "Oh, and sort that helmet out, McKay!"

Rodney mumbled nastily, "Yes, sir," but he tugged the strap tighter anyway.

----------

The Puddle Jumper landed in the courtyard with a cloud of dust. Major Lorne got out of his chair as the rear hatch lowered and marines threw smoke bombs out of the doorway. Rodney shrunk down into his seat and watched the HUD intently. He heard stunner shots and lots of shouting as many pairs of military issue boots clomped from the ship and invaded the prison.

He watched the marines as they stormed through one of the doors leading to where the rest of his team were being held and sighed. Corporal Mullens was pacing the rear compartment with his P90 up and ready.

Rodney's eyes widened when he saw lots of life signs spilling out of a door to the Jumper's left. The marines had gone the other way. He called out to Mullens, "I'm closing the hatch!"

The door slammed shut before the soldiers reached them and Rodney breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes as he tried to control his nerves. His relaxed and safe mood did not last long as a large metal bar was slammed into the windscreen. The glass splintered under the impact, but did not break.

Mullens said, "Hey, isn't the cloak active?"

"Yes. I'm going to switch to shields until they come back."

The Corporal nodded and continued to pace about. Rodney got out of his seat and was about to settle in the pilot's chair when the windscreen was sprayed with bullets.

The glass shattered inwards and Rodney heard Mullen cry out and fall down in the rear compartment. McKay flinched and staggered backwards as the bullets broke the glass. He sat down heavily in the pilot's seat and tried in vain to activate the shields, but the damage to the control panels from the bullets had taken them offline.

Men from the prison had started to swarm towards the Jumper and Rodney's eyes widened when he saw that the cloak had also deactivated. He stood up and ran into the rear compartment. He crouched down next to Mullens and grimaced when he tried to find a pulse but could not. The Corporal had been shot in the head.

Rodney unconsciously pressed his hand against his chest and then reached up with shaking fingers to swap some crystals around. One of the men crawled through the open window and pointed his gun at Rodney. He pulled the trigger and there was a loud bang. Rodney staggered backwards as it felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. He tilted up his P90, gritted his teeth and looked away as he shot the man.

He then returned his attention to the crystal tray. He soon had the shields online and the men tapped against them and fired their guns, but could not break through.

Rodney collapsed down onto the bench in the rear compartment and hunched over with his eyes closed as adrenaline coursed through his system and his heart pounded in his chest.

He soon heard a voice in his radio, _"Lorne to McKay. We've got them, lower the shields."_

Rodney replied weakly, "Okay."

He got up and staggered into the cockpit and pressed a few of the buttons on the pilot's console. The shields disappeared and the rear hatch opened. Rodney stayed in the cockpit and clutched the back of the pilot's chair with his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. He felt hands on his shoulders and turned to see John standing next to him.

Sheppard looked a little beaten up. There were cuts on his face and he had a black eye, but he seemed to be fine otherwise. Rodney turned and saw Ronon and Teyla were also near him. They only had cuts, but there was also concern etched into their faces at Rodney's hunched appearance and the way he was gripping the seat as if his life depended on it.

Ronon asked, "You alright, McKay?"

Rodney nodded vacantly, "Yes, fine. Glad you… made it… out"

John gestured at Rodney's helmet and said, "Nice headgear."

"Blame… Major… Lorne."

They all turned to where the Major was limping and had his arm over the shoulder of another marine. He glanced at the dead Corporal on the floor and then glared at Rodney, "What the hell happened, McKay?"

Rodney looked down at his white knuckles on the back of the chair and mumbled quietly, "I'm sorry. They… attacked…. us." Rodney's face suddenly paled and he said quietly, "I don't… feel so good."

Rodney closed his eyes and gave up his grip on the seat. He fell backwards and would have landed heavily on the deck if it were not for all three members of his team catching him and lowering him down gently. Sheppard whispered, "Easy, easy."

Rodney screwed up his face and panted as his back hit the floor.

John called out, "Major, if that's not life threatening. I need you to fly us back to Atlantis double time!"

Lorne limped into the cockpit and sat down in the seat. He looked down guiltily at Rodney lying on the floor and hissing breaths in pain as his team tried to find out what was wrong with him.

John narrowed his eyes and unzipped Rodney's tac vest. He looked at his bloody hands and frowned, "Where did they get you, Rodney?"

McKay curled up and rolled over onto his side. He pressed his hand against his stomach and hugged his other arm around his chest.

Teyla shared a worried look with Ronon and John and peered down at Rodney. "I think he has been shot in the chest and side."

Rodney tensed up and released a small whimper before his arms fell away from where he had been hugging them around himself and he lost consciousness.

John, Teyla and Ronon removed Rodney's helmet and pressed bandages against his injuries as he bled for the sake of their rescue. The Jumper soared rapidly over the landscape and Lorne gritted his teeth as he flew it as fast as he could back to the gate.

"Major Lorne to Atlantis. Have a medical team meet us in the gate room. We've got injured with multiple gunshot wounds."

----------

"I can't believe you didn't even notice you were shot, McKay! Not once either, but _twice_! You must've had enough adrenaline in you to run a mile in 30 seconds!"

John's incredulous voice entered Rodney's semi-conscious mind and he mumbled in a rasping croak, "Just felt like I'd been punched."

"By bullets? Well, that's one way of putting it."

Rodney opened his eyes and he sucked on the straw in his mouth as John offered him some water. He coughed a little and winced. Wrapping his arms around his chest he gazed blearily at John sitting next to him. There were still bruises and stitched cuts visible on Sheppard's face and he had a hell of a shiner.

Rodney asked, "Are you alright? What happened on the mission?"

"The village we were trading with got invaded. They saw that we obviously didn't belong there and locked us up. I think they weren't too sure what to do with us; so they took us to that prison you stormed with Major Lorne."

"I didn't storm anything, Colonel. I was just minding my own business."

Rodney tensed up and trembled. He held his breath for a moment and then released it in pain. "Oh! That's not good."

John beckoned Keller over and indicated Rodney as the scientist furrowed his brow and shivered. Jennifer gave him a strong painkiller and rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment. Rodney blinked up and her and smiled in gratitude, "Thanks," he whispered weakly.

Jennifer squeezed his shoulder and walked back to Major Lorne where she was halfway through changing the bandage on his leg.

Rodney closed his eyes as he floated on a numb and drug induced state of semi-consciousness. He heard voices wafting across the infirmary and listened through the haze.

"That's not what I want to hear, Major! You never leave a civilian behind with the ship. Especially someone as important and vital to the mission as McKay!"

Rodney mumbled, "_Vital_…"

Lorne spoke sadly, "I'm sorry, sir. I thought he'd be alright with Mullens. The Jumper was cloaked and I don't know how they got inside."

"They shot him _twice_, Major. One bullet hit him in the chest and barely missed his heart. He nearly died. Corporal Mullens _did_ die. We weren't actually in any danger there, Major. You could've used a diplomatic approach."

"With all due respect, we didn't know that, Colonel. All we knew was that you were missing and your Jumper was abandoned. You were captured by hostiles and locked up in that prison. I know McKay had to, but _we_ didn't kill anyone to get you back."

Rodney heard Sheppard sigh, "I know, Major. I'm just worried about Rodney. He's still suffering a hell of a lot from those bullets. Keller said he'd nearly bled dry by the time we got back."

"I'm _really_ sorry, sir." There was a slight pause and Lorne's voice was clearer and louder, "And I'm really sorry, Rodney. I let you down." The Major's voice became quieter again, "I don't mind if you reprimand me or bust me back to doing mess duty."

John sighed again and then said a little more cheerfully, "It's alright, Evan. I just hope you learn from it." There was a slight pause and Rodney held his breath for a moment. John's voice came from the other side of the infirmary, "Oh, I hope that leg gets better soon."

"Thanks."

Rodney released his breath and tried to keep his breathing even as he heard the clanking of crutches on the floor as Lorne left the infirmary.

He sighed and let himself float away completely into unconsciousness.

----------

_A/N – **Iawen** also likes Lorne whump (and so do I!) I don't really know how to write Lorne as he's not been in enough episodes to really pin down his character. I was also going to start **A Touch of Chaos**, but got chewed by a whole load of new PJM ideas earlier... (and they're so much fun to write!) **ANI-AI** is up next_


	49. ANI AI

_**Sandy Toes** requested a run down on how many Puddle Jumpers have been damaged/destroyed in this collection:-  
__21 damaged (5 by McKay, 15 by Sheppard, 1 by a marine)  
__11 destroyed (5 by McKay, 5 by Sheppard, 1 by both – The Black Swan)_

_A/N – Thanks to **voyfan7** for the challenge. This is a tag to 'The Tower' and runs on from the end of the episode (based on what Sheppard says)_

**ANI-AI**

Rodney once again found himself on the planet with the partially buried sister city to Atlantis. Trade negotiations were still ongoing for the Jumpers, but out of an act of good faith, the inhabitants of the tower had said they were willing to give one of the dusty Puddle Jumpers to the Lanteans for free.

John smiled across at Rodney as he flew the Jumper from Atlantis up towards the bay on the planet. He said with a smirk, "You know they're only giving it to us because it's haunted."

Ronon chuckled and Teyla rolled her eyes. Rodney folded his arms over his chest and said incredulously, "Oh, please! Who told you that?"

John turned in his seat slightly, "Teyla?"

"Yes. We were told at the start of the negotiations that strange noises often emanate from one of the Jumpers during the night."

Rodney scowled and said in a superior tone, "There's no power. That's impossible."

Ronon continued for Teyla, "That's just what they told us, McKay. If you're too scared to fly it back, Sheppard can."

Rodney snapped, "I'm _not_ scared! It's just ridiculous." He turned in his seat to face Ronon's grinning face. He took the bait and sighed angrily, "Alright, you're on. I'll fly it back myself just to prove the point."

John raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "Ronon and Teyla you're staying behind to continue the talks?"

"That is correct. We now have a list of items to trade with them. It may be better if Ronon and I stay here for a while on our own to, ah, create the right impression."

John nodded and grimaced. Rodney looked indignant. Before he could speak the Jumper lowered into the bay and landed in the centre of the room with a slight thump.

John said, "Okay, everybody out!"

Rodney picked up his toolkit where he had packed many control and power crystals and followed Ronon and Teyla out of the rear hatch. John came after and said, "Good luck," to Teyla and Ronon as they were over to the staircase.

Teyla glanced at Rodney's back and nodded vigorously, "We will be fine."

John followed Rodney into the dusty ship and glanced around. McKay muttered, "Just as I thought. No power. Some people are so paranoid! Just because they haven't been used for ten thousand years and they're all dusty!" He blew a breath across the crystal tray in the rear compartment and started coughing. He used his hand to clean the rest away and then opened his toolkit.

John went into the cockpit and had a look around. His eyes widened and he turned back to Rodney, "Hey, this is cool!"

Rodney was fumbling with control crystals and wiring in the rear compartment and huffed angrily, "What?!"

John said in awe, "There's some extra stuff in here. Don't know what it is."

Rodney shot him a long suffering look, "I'm just going to worry about getting this thing off the ground and back to Atlantis. We can pull it apart and analyse it later."

John was still grinning and went back into the rear compartment to see whether Rodney needed any help. He settled for handing tools and crystals from the case up to his friend as Rodney powered up the systems one by one.

----------

Ronon and Teyla joined them a few hours later as Rodney was just finishing his work. John looked at them and remarked, "That was fast!"

Teyla said, "They will consider our list, once we have taken this Jumper away."

Ronon mumbled, "They were quite keen to get rid of it."

Rodney was not listening to them and suddenly his face lit up and he said, "Ah ha!" He dashed into the cockpit and thumped down in the pilot's chair. He drew up his tablet and plugged it into the console

John gave Ronon a lopsided grin and asked the scientist, "Is it ready?"

Rodney kept on typing and said distractedly, "Yes, yes. You can go. I'll be right behind you."

Ronon said to John gruffly, "I'll stay."

John nodded and left the ship with Teyla. Ronon wandered into the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilot's chair in a cloud of dust. Rodney sneezed and sniffed as he glared at Ronon briefly.

The Satedan gestured down at the panels in front of him and asked, "What's all this stuff, McKay?"

Rodney felt his temper rising and he grumbled, "Nothing you need to worry about! Okay, it's ready. Let's go home."

He left the tablet balanced on top of the console and pressed some of the controls. He suddenly felt something cutting into his hand and drew in a sharp breath.

It seemed that Ronon had not noticed as he gazed down at the console in confusion. Rodney drew his hand up to his mouth and sucked the bleeding cut across his palm. He was about to say something to Ronon, when a smooth female voice in his head started speaking.

_"Analysing tissue sample. Working… Working… Welcome, Dr Rodney McKay. I am an Advanced Neural Interface Artificial Intelligence."_

"What?" Rodney squeaked around his hand still stuck in his mouth. He grimaced a little at the taste of the blood and lowered his hands down to the control sticks hesitantly.

"I didn't say anything, McKay."

_"But you may call me ANI-AI if you choose. I am here to guide you through the new interface technology recently developed."_

Rodney glanced across at Ronon, who was looking impatient and brushing massive cascades of dust from the armrest of his seat in boredom.

Rodney thought, _"ANI-AI, that's not very catching. I wonder if this is a prototype or something?"_

_"You may call me whatever you desire. I am now a part of you. I am the first of my kind."_

Rodney thought the voice sounded quite patronising and he rolled his eyes as he activated the engines. He answered ANI-AI in his mind, _"Oh, a haunted Jumper. That's a good one. Let's get you back to Atlantis and I can spend the rest of the day dissecting you to find out where you keep that AI brain of yours."_

_"I will not allow you to do that, Rodney. All that you may do is fly this vessel and I will help you with that task."_

"_We'll just see about that…"_

Rodney cried out in alarm as a power surge ran through the console and shocked him slightly. It was not enough to burn, but it hurt and he lifted his hands away and sucked his fingers.

Ronon frowned across at him, "You alright?"

Rodney nodded and returned his shaking hands to the controls as they approached the gate. "Dial it."

Ronon sighed and hammered the symbols. The new Jumper flew through the gate and rose up into the bay above the control room back on Atlantis.

----------

Rodney tossed and turned in his bed and sighed. He only had a few precious hours to sleep before he had to be back on duty. All that he could think about was the Puddle Jumper and ANI-AI. It was almost like she was inside his head and calling out to him from the Jumper Bay high above.

He looked at the clock on his table and rolled his eyes. It was 4am. He took the opportunity to look around his quarters in the dull light of the moons outside the window and drew in a sharp breath in shock.

There was a figure standing by the window and they quickly and silently came over to him. Rodney stayed completely still and held his breath.

_"Do not be afraid. You have work to do, Rodney. I will help you."_

Rodney saw that the figure was female and her eyes shone brightly in the darkness. Rodney pulled the covers up so that his fingers were drawn up to his chin and he peeked out from underneath.

There was a sound of laughter and Rodney shivered. The woman curled her hand around his and pulled him out of the bed. Rodney asked in a trembling voice, "You're her, aren't you? But how are you able to touch me?"

"_I can do a lot of things, Rodney,"_ the voice simpered.

Rodney's eyes were more accustomed to the darkness and he shivered when he saw that the woman's mouth did not move as she spoke. She narrowed her eyes and corrected the error. Her lips moved when she said in the infuriatingly calm and smooth voice, _"Come with me and you will not be permanently damaged."_

He tried to pull away from the grip, but she was too strong and nearly crushed his hand in her own. He winced and did not really have a choice as she led him out of his quarters and to the nearest transporter.

----------

Rodney woke up to the feeling of someone shaking him by his shoulders. He rolled over and fell onto the floor with a crash. He groaned and rubbed his tired eyes. "What do you want?"

"Why are you sleeping in the Jumper, Rodney?"

McKay peered up at Zelenka crouching next to him on the floor and grimaced. Rodney's face was pale and there was black bruising visible around his bloodshot eyes where he had not slept properly for days. He absently rubbed his stubble and furrowed his brow, "I was working on her last night. Must've lost track of the time."

Radek frowned and commented, "I did not know the Jumpers were female."

Rodney glanced up fearfully as ANI-AI loomed over him. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, which made it so much harder for him to disobey her. She was highly intelligent, had blonde hair and eyes that sparkled with the crystal blue fire as one of the control crystals of the Jumper itself.

He looked away and said, "This one is definitely a woman. I have a lot of work to do!" He pushed himself upright and grabbed the panel resting on the opposite bench that he was using to replace a bulkhead inside ANI-AI's ship.

Radek grabbed the panel and pulled it out of Rodney's weak grasp easily. He narrowed his eyes at the metal and then shot McKay an angry look, "This is from Jumper Six! I have had to take it off the mission ready list due to unknown damage it sustained recently."

Rodney tried to retrieve the metal, but Radek kept it out of his reach. He cried, "I need that! She needs it!"

His eyes widened as ANI-AI circled behind Radek. She said in an even tone, _"Get rid of him and then we can move on to more important tasks."_

"Like what?!" Rodney asked, not caring about Radek's confused look.

_"You can take me somewhere. Just you, me and the endless stars."_

"But what about Atlantis?"

_"No-one can come between us. I will show you things you have never even imagined, Rodney."_

Radek was backing away from him and he muttered, "You are not well, Rodney. I will have to call security and infirmary to help you."

Rodney frowned and shook his fist at Radek, "You do that, see if I care!"

ANI-AI walked over and placed her hand over Rodney's heart. She narrowed her eyes at him seductively and whispered, _"You need that part he took. Get it back for me."_

Rodney's chest hitched against her hand and she released him so that he could chase after Radek.

The Czech murmured in shock as his slightly crazed department head grabbed hold of the piece of metal he was carrying. There was a brief struggle and Radek quickly released the bulkhead. Rodney had not banked on such an easy fight and he tugged it too hard. The metal struck him in the chest and he fell backwards, gasping, with the bulkhead on top of him.

Radek tapped his radio as Rodney lifted the metal away. He got up and scurried back to the Jumper he was working on. "Colonel Sheppard, I need your help."

----------

Rodney grimaced as he lovingly secured the bulkhead in place in the rear compartment. He rubbed a hand on his bruised chest and ANI-AI came over to him. She grasped his hand and pulled it away. She smiled at him and Rodney returned the expression with a little confusion. She rested her hand on his back and guided him over to sit in the pilot's chair.

She was about to speak, when John called out to Rodney, "What're you doing, McKay? Radek told me you've been removing parts from other Jumpers for unnecessary work on this one."

ANI-AI squeezed Rodney's shoulder painfully and he squirmed a little in the seat. _"Get rid of this one too. I do not care how you do it. He is standing in our way."_

"O…kay…" he panted. He then turned to John, "There was a point oh oh oh four variance in the hull plating."

John frowned incredulously, "Sounds like a speck of dust might have caused that one."

"But she has to be perfect!" Rodney whined, as ANI-AI dug her fingers into his arm.

"It's an inanimate object, McKay. Radek called me up here, because you were acting irrationally. I can see why now…"

"_Shoot him and then we can go!"_

Rodney grimaced and trembled as pain radiated through his arm and into his aching chest from her sharp fingers. "I won't do it. Stop that! It hurts. How are you even able to do that? You're not really here!"

"Who are you talking to, Rodney?" John asked as his eyes tracked around inside the empty Jumper.

"ANI-AI," Rodney answered. He then screwed up his face and cried out as she inflicted crushing pain in his arm. He drew it up over his chest and held it tightly with his other hand.

John rushed over to him and grabbed his unhurt shoulder, "What's going on with you, Rodney. You haven't been the same since we got this Jumper. It's not just Radek who's noticed. I've had reports from many people that you've been shirking your responsibilities as you've withdrawn from all contact with other people. I've even heard that you've been sleeping in here."

Rodney trembled under Sheppard's grip and he mumbled, "I'm sorry, John."

Before the Colonel could react, Rodney grabbed the stunner that had been tucked into the small of his back and shot John in the chest.

ANI-AI smiled down at Rodney and held his face in her hands. She kissed his forehead and said, _"Good. Now fly us out of here."_

Rodney nodded and said, "In a moment." He got up and dragged Sheppard into the rear compartment. He stole a look at ANI-AI, but she was looking out of the window. Rodney could have shoved John out of the rear hatch, but he needed his friend's help.

He tied John's hands together in front of him and laid him out of his side. He then walked back into the cockpit and sat in the pilot's chair.

"_Block the address and take us here,"_ ANI-AI said in a calm monotone, which was becoming more and more malevolent to Rodney as she held him in thrall.

Gate symbols flashed across the HUD and Rodney nodded and pressed the symbols. The Jumper lowered into the gate room and Rodney ignored the shouts for him to stop over the radio.

The Jumper flew out of the gate in space and ANI-AI leant over him and hugged him tightly. Rodney felt a sense of calm happiness descending on him and washing away the tiredness and fear as she held him. He thought the sensations of pain and her touch were probably all in his mind due to the interface.

She kissed his forehead again and then moved up to place her kisses in his messy hair. Rodney closed his eyes in contentment and suddenly several tendrils shot out of the control panel and stabbed into his body.

His eyes flew open in shock and he screamed. ANI-AI cooed down at him and ran her hands through his hair and down his back. _"We are one."_

Rodney reached up a shaking hand and clutched the power conduit jabbed into his chest. He gasped, "What are you doing? This isn't necessary. I can still fly it."

_"Not as well. This is the complete interface."_

Rodney pulled at the conduit, but it was securely embedded in him and would not shift. He looked down at himself and saw there were several tendrils connected to him. One was in the side of his thigh, one in the centre of his abdomen and two in both of his forearms, along with the one in his chest. He watched in horror as lights pulsed along the conduits and headed towards and into him.

He grimaced and shook in pain. He cried in a high-pitched voice, "This is going to kill me!"

ANI-AI narrowed her eyes at him and then her face became impassive, _"No, it will not. They will keep you alive."_

"But I'm not a machine. I can't survive on this kind of power."

She ruffled his hair and smiled at him insanely, _"You will survive, Rodney. I have so many wonderful things I want to show you."_

Rodney closed his eyes and hoped John would wake up soon and help him. He felt a hand on the side of his face and opened his eyes to look up at ANI-AI. _"The first thing I want you to do is destroy this facility. It is a Wraith outpost and they do not deserve to live."_

Rodney gritted his teeth and winced, "Well at least we agree on that one…"

He found that he did not even need to think to fly the Jumper with the tendrils embedded in him. He usually had to concentrate so much with the normal interface. Even through the pain, he was secretly impressed and surprised at how easy it was.

Rodney coughed harshly and flinched. The tendrils moved with him so they did not shift, but blood appeared on his lips. ANI-AI frowned at him. _"My previous master was able to heal himself and was not hurt by the interface."_

Rodney blinked up at her as his face creased in lines of pain. He panted, "I'm not like your previous master. This _will_ kill me."

_"Never mind. As long as you destroy the facility it does not matter."_

Rodney opened his mouth and furrowed his brow as he screwed his eyes tightly closed. He struggled to draw breath and wheezed, "I knew it was too good to be true."

The Jumper entered the lower atmosphere and Rodney brought up the HUD. He coughed again and cringed as blood splattered the control panel. He frowned at the display, "They're human life signs. I'm not going to kill them!"

Neither of them noticed John stirring in the rear compartment. He silently sat up and watched the solitary figure in the cockpit. His eyes widened when he saw Rodney's condition and he unholstered his sidearm.

ANI-AI slammed her hand against Rodney's face and he cried out as his head was knocked sideways. _"Destroy the Wraith,"_ she ordered.

Rodney glared back at her. There was no mark on his cheek where she had apparently hit him. He said, "Not Wraith, humans."

_"If you do not destroy it willingly, I can make you do it anyway. Like the repairs and all the other things I have had you do for the last couple of days."_

"I know!" Rodney cried, his voice breaking in desperation.

John's foot tapped something on the deck as he advanced and he quickly crouched down and retrieved the stunner. Rodney had either dropped it accidentally or placed it there for him to find.

The stunner clanked quietly on the deck and Rodney heard it. He turned his head, but did not try and spin around or the interface could have been torn out of him. He returned his eyes to the front windscreen and rapidly guided the Jumper down to land.

ANI-AI suddenly asserted herself and took control of him. Rodney called out, "Stun me! Stun me!"

John's eyes widened in shock and he pulled the trigger. Rodney was enveloped in blue energy and he slumped down onto the control panel. The Jumper lost power and landed heavily. John was able to brace himself before impact as it had not reached a very high altitude.

The tendrils disconnected from Rodney and dark patches rapidly appeared on his clothes where they had been as he started to bleed externally. John lifted Rodney out of the seat and laid him out of the floor so that he could find out the extent of his friend's injuries.

He tapped his radio in hope, "Sheppard to Atlantis?"

There was no reply, but he was not really expecting one. Wherever the gate was, he still needed the signal booster from the Jumper being online to get a large enough signal out. After seeing what had happened to Rodney, he did not want to risk powering up the ship again. He glanced into the rear compartment, but there was no medical kit.

He took off his jacket and shirt and peeled Rodney's clothes away from the wounds. He pressed the material down to try and staunch the bleeding and spoke quietly to him, "Come on, McKay. You still need to tell me who you were speaking with and why you've been hiding away from us for the last couple of days. You've missed all the good stuff. We got five shiny new Jumpers from that planet! Teyla's been really smug about that one and Ronon's not far behind, I think I saw him smiling earlier."

John wrapped Rodney's shirt around the hole in his leg and tied it off. He tied the sleeves of his jacket around Rodney's forearms and then pressed his hands on Rodney's chest and abdomen where he was still bleeding.

His radio buzzed, _"Colonel Sheppard, Dr McKay? Do you read?"_

John breathed a sigh of relief, "Sheppard here. I hope you've brought Carson with you!"

"_Aye, I'm here lad. What happened?"_

"Rodney's badly hurt. Some power conduits from the Jumper stabbed him."

_"ETA two minutes."_

John looked down sadly at Rodney's pale and slack face. He said softly, "I'm sorry. I should've seen there was something wrong sooner. I was just so excited about the new Jumpers I missed the signs. I hope to see those blue eyes of yours and hear the berating tone of your voice aimed at me again very soon."

Rodney did not move. His stubble and the black circles around his eyes stood out starkly against his white skin.

"_Open the hatch please, John,"_ Carson requested over the radio.

"Okay, stand back," Sheppard got up and used the emergency release lever and the door lowered.

Carson rapidly pushed him aside and went over to Rodney. John watched as they rebound his injuries with proper bandages and carried him out of the Jumper on a stretcher.

----------

Rodney sat in his lab with John a few days later. The wounds had not been very deep, but incredibly painful and he had lost a lot of blood.

He gazed down blearily at his well bandaged forearms and winced. The circles around his eyes were beginning to fade and he had had a shave. He asked John, "What happened to her?"

"Radek stripped out the neural interface and installed one he salvaged from a wreck we brought home recently."

Rodney furrowed his brow sadly, "ANI-AI is dead?"

"Not quite. The interface is in storage. I doubt we'll ever use it again."

Rodney looked away dreamily and sighed, "She was _so_ beautiful."

"Shame she was also a murderous harpy."

Rodney's eyes snapped down and he instantly left his trance, "Yes, well, that did put a dampener on the relationship somewhat. The interface was very efficient."

John raised his eyebrows and gestured his hand at Rodney's hunched form where more bandages were wrapped all the way around his midsection under his shirt, "Yes, incredibly efficient at nearly killing you."

Rodney trembled and grimaced, "Well as technology goes, it was certainly one of the Ancient's more gruesome inventions. I wonder what happened to the last pilot."

John laughed, "I expect she ate him."

Rodney raised his eyebrows, "That really wouldn't surprise me, Sheppard."

John stayed with Rodney in the lab and typed up his mission reports on the computer opposite his friend to keep him company and out of trouble.

----------

_A/N – Although I don't really remember it, I also owe a lot to Star Trek Voyager's 'Alice.'_


	50. Off The Rails

_In a rollercoaster sense…_

**_Off The Rails_**

The Jumper glided through space, heading on a course that would take it to the third planet in the system. On board, an in depth discussion was going on about an extremely important matter pertaining to the most recently completed team exercise…

"If numbers weren't an issue, the Borg would _not_ defeat the Replicators," Rodney said with absolute finality from the co-pilot's seat of the Jumper.

John smiled at him dangerously as he said quietly, "Yes, they would."

Teyla looked on with a bemused expression, but Ronon decided to join in, "I agree with Sheppard."

Rodney's slow typing on the computer stopped as he said, "They'd have problems due to the inorganic nature of the Replicators. They'd never be able to assimilate them."

Teyla sighed and rolled her eyes, "The Borg are not real. Although the Borg in this 'Star Trek' film of our last movie night were a little too close to the Replicators for my taste."

Rodney shivered slightly and said, "There you see, at least a close match! They'd just keep on Replicating and eventually the Borg would be destroyed."

John opened his mouth to reply, but the console beeped that they were getting close to their destination.

Rodney smiled triumphantly and said, "The energy reading is stronger. It's coming from the star side of the planet."

John brought up the HUD and zoomed into the planet they were nearing. Rodney indicated an area above the planet which was glowing white. "Hmm, that's strange. It's coming from orbit."

He suddenly looked up with his eyes shining with excitement, "It's a space station!"

As he finished speaking, John lifted his hands away from the controls. Rodney turned to him in alarm and said, "Both hands on the wheel, Colonel."

"I can't. I'm no longer in control."

Ronon narrowed his eyes at the energy reading on the HUD and said, "Is that thing pulling us in?"

Rodney frantically typed on the computer and spoke very quickly, "Yes. It's hacked into the Jumper's systems and we're on autopilot."

John asked, "Can you break the connection?"

Rodney continued to type away and he bunched his face up in concentration as he worked. The sounds of his fingers hitting the keys echoed loudly in the silence.

After a few tense seconds, Teyla spoke softly, "Rodney?"

"What?!" He snapped as he frowned in frustration.

The space station was now visible through the window. It was a large flat circle and had many docking ports all around the edges. The metal was black and the sun glinted off the panelling as they got closer.

"The autopilot?" John elaborated calmly.

Rodney continued to ignore them while he desperately worked to free them from the trap where they had become ensnared. He blinked and looked up out of the window. He stammered, "I can't… not in enough time…"

John frowned angrily and gestured out in front of them at the station which was now filling the entire window. "Can you at least tell us what it is?"

Rodney answered impatiently, "Yes, yes. It's an Ancient space station. There are twenty docking ports all for Puddle Jumpers. Some have ships attached and the energy reading indicates that there is some power left; certainly enough for the life support and artificial gravity to still be functioning. The entire station is covered in the Ancient equivalent of solar panelling."

John raised his eyebrows, "Cool. Not really a threat then?"

Rodney gave him a tight smile, "No." His eyes widened as he continued, "At least, not yet anyway."

John leant back in his seat and rested his hands on the back of his head as the autopilot spun the Jumper around. A dull tremor ran through the craft as it latched onto one of the docking ports.

Rodney stood up first and hurried into the rear compartment waiting for the rear hatch to open.

Ronon quickly pushed past him and drew his blaster ready to meet whatever was on the space station.

Rodney folded his arms over his chest and said indignantly, "There are no life sign readings and no-one has been here in over 10,000 years. What are you expecting? A ten thousand year old mutated space rat that lives on solar power?"

Ronon shrugged, "Sure."

John smirked, but Teyla kept her face carefully neutral as they stood by the hatch.

John turned to Rodney, "Well?"

He sighed and pulled out his small hand scanner. He tapped the screen a few times and nodded, "Breathable air. The pressure has been equalised. The systems started coming online as we approached."

"Creepy." John commented.

"Not really. It's an automated station. About as creepy as those waving hand toilet flusher things."

Ronon smiled, "I like those!"

The hatch lowered slowly and they stepped out into the wide corridor. Rodney mumbled, "Well you would, caveman."

The passageway was black and appeared to be made of the same material as could be seen from the outside. Adorned along the walls at regular intervals were various emblems leading away until the corridor curved around a corner and they could no longer be seen.

"What are they?" Teyla asked as she eyed a picture of a blue arrow encircling a planet.

Rodney was frowning at the scanner and waved his hand about in annoyance, "I don't know yet. I've found the central control room, but the main energy reading is coming from the other side of the station."

"ZPM?" John asked eagerly.

"Possibly. There's not much power left though."

John straightened up and issued his orders, "Okay, keep the radio channel open. Teyla, go with McKay and check out that energy reading. Ronon and I will head to the control room."

Teyla's lips twisted slightly, but she simply nodded. Rodney had turned around and was already marching off up the corridor staring at the scanner. John furrowed his brow in a small apology and Teyla quickly spun around and trotted after McKay.

* * *

Rodney stood in front of a large door and ran his hand over the red sun emblem drawn on the side. Teyla was glancing up and down the corridor and kept a hand on her P90 just in case.

Rodney muttered, "Very strange…" as he glanced at the scanner again.

"What is it?"

"These pictures. They're a little too showy for the Ancients. We've found very little in the way of artwork on Atlantis, so these seem a little out of place on a space station built by them."

"Yes, the ancestors preferred to use their creativity in buildings and devices rather than in paintings."

"Hmm, ah, here we go." Rodney levered up an invisible panel next to the door and waved his hand over the control inside.

The door hissed open and revealed a small alcove. Rodney tutted and sighed, "What _is_ this?" He looked down at the scanner in disappointment and shook it slightly, "Where's the energy reading coming from?"

Teyla grabbed his upper arm and stopped him as he moved to enter the alcove. He frowned at her and she pointed to his radio before tapping her own, "Teyla to Sheppard."

"_Sheppard here."_

"Have you found anything of interest?"

_"You could say that… There are several rooms branching off the control room, all full of chairs and those holographic projector things."_

Rodney raised his eyebrows, "What for?"

Ronon answered, _"We don't know, McKay. That's why you came with us."_

John added, _"They look a bit like classrooms. There are also some really small rooms with just a holographic projector inside. I'm going to see if I can boot one up and watch the video."_ He paused for a moment and then asked, _"How about you?"_

Rodney folded his arms over his chest and said in annoyance, "Well, we've found a cosy cubbyhole which I was just about to investigate."

Teyla shook her head, "We have not found anything either."

Rodney ground his teeth together and walked into the alcove, "Let's see what this actually is, shall…"

His last word was lost in a yelp as the door slammed shut behind him. The artificial gravity shifted slightly and he was thrown into the wall just in front of him. He hissed and tapped his radio, "McKay to Teyla."

Silence.

"Teyla? Uh, Sheppard? Ronon?"

There was still no reply when the wall he was leaning on suddenly gave way and he fell forwards into a strangely familiar room. It was not quite a room though and he pushed himself off the floor and looked around. He said, "Oh, a Puddle Jumper!"

Except the Jumper only had one chair in the cockpit and there was no DHD or any control crystals or panels to be pried away. Rodney glanced around the interior of the ship in panic and reached up to access some of the systems in the rear compartment. He curled his fingers around the bulkhead, but there was no purchase to be had on the smooth metal and no circuits or crystals for him to manipulate.

He frowned and walked into the cockpit, just in time to see stars and the sweeping glow of the planet underneath as the Jumper undocked from the station with a jolt and sent him careening back into the rear compartment.

He coughed as he lay sprawled on the deck and muttered angrily, "Inertial dampeners are a prerequisite for launching this thing into space!"

He tapped his radio again, "Sheppard!"

There was still no response, so he stood up and traced his hand along the side of the ship to steady himself as he walked into the cockpit. There was a helmet in the chair with the same red sun emblem drawn on the front as had been on the door. He gave it an incredulous look. He then shrugged and put it on, securing the strap under his chin as he thumped down heavily in the seat.

He waved his hands over the controls and then pressed a few of them as he mumbled, "How very 'Top Gun.'"

He continued to talk to himself as the Jumper flew on autopilot around the planet towards the side they had not yet seen. "No shields, no inertial dampeners… very little in the way of power. What the hell were the Ancients doing out here? Oh!"

He looked out of the window and his eyes widened as he saw a series of platforms ahead. Some were pointing towards him and other looked like they could be space ships. As he watched in fear, several of the objects lit up and began firing energy beams at the approaching craft with the terrified scientist onboard.

Rodney cried, "No no no no no!" and gripped the controls as hard as he could in his sweaty and shaking hands. He did not have time to locate any weapons systems and only just managed to roll the Jumper over to avoid the beams. He dodged the shots, but not before he was brutally thrown out of the seat with a shriek and collided with the wall. His helmeted head smacked into the bulkhead and he moaned as he slipped down onto the floor and held his left arm.

He coughed slightly as he sat there. He was unable to get up and reach the controls before the Jumper was hit in the side by something. Rodney was forced forward in his seated position and then slammed back into the wall again. He lost his breath in a weak cry and the second impact to his head knocked him out.

He slumped over sideways and was oblivious to the rest of the shots. They hit the barely functioning Jumper as it navigated the assault course without its pilot. Small fires soon broke out and filled the interior of the ship with choking heat and smoke. The control panel exploded in a shower of burning debris and the craft's solitary occupant started to bleed.

* * *

Ronon stood outside the alcove where Sheppard had disappeared a moment ago to investigate one of the small projector rooms. His radio activated, _"Teyla to Sheppard and Ronon."_

She sounded a little rattled and he frowned as he tapped his own headset. He grunted, "Ronon"

_"Is Colonel Sheppard there too?"_

"No. He's busy."

_"Dr McKay has been trapped in a room. I have been unable to reach him on the radio. I require your assistance."_

Ronon walked over to the door and hammered on it with his fist a few times. There was very little sound and he knew that Sheppard had probably not heard. He tried pressing the screen where the strange sun image had appeared just after Sheppard had gone into the room, but nothing happened.

He pulled out his blaster and fired a few shots into the door. The sound was much louder as the material absorbed the energy.

The door suddenly slid open and Sheppard came out with a grin on his face. He said in awe, "That was totally cool. I think I know what this facility's for now."

His expression fell when he saw Ronon's face. Ronon frowned and said, "Teyla called us, McKay's trapped."

John tapped his radio and ran up the corridor ahead of Ronon as they went over to join Teyla. "We're on our way, Teyla."

She replied, _"Please hurry."_

Ronon asked as they ran, "So what's this place for?"

John smiled, "It's a Jumper pilot and weapons platform training facility. That alcove was the most vivid simulator I've ever been in."

They had to stop talking as they were soon using all their breath to get to Teyla and Rodney.

* * *

Teyla stood in the corridor waiting anxiously for the others. She kept her face neutral, but could not hide the emotions bubbling inside her. She had tried to activate the panel and open the door, but it must have reacted to Rodney's ATA gene and she knew that only Sheppard would be able to help now.

She was running her hand over the panel again, when her team mates came around the curve of the corridor.

She nodded and indicated the wall, "Rodney activated this, went into the small room that appeared and then it shut behind him. I am unable to gain access."

John frowned and ran his hand over the panel. Nothing happened. He was reaching into his tac vest for his scanner, when the door suddenly opened on its own.

All three of them staggered back from the black cloud of smoke and scorching heat which came through the door. The environmental controls quickly adapted and sucked the smoke out of the air as it billowed from the doorway.

Teyla coughed and cried into the gloom veiled by the smoke, "Rodney?"

John narrowed his eyes and covered his mouth and nose with his hand as he clicked on the flashlight of his P90 and the beam cut through the smoke. He shouted, "McKay!?"

He pulled the scanner out of his pocket and careful not to inhale too deeply he said in a cracked voice, "There's one life sign straight ahead." He handed the device to Teyla and got on his hands and knees, "Wait out here."

He crawled along the ground and coughed harshly as he approached the reading he had seen on the detector. He could not see anything as the smoke still seemed to be pouring from the flames he saw in orange glows all around him.

He choked, "McKay, you have to get out of here!"

He could barely see in front of his own face and his hand suddenly hit something soft. He stopped crawling and squinted at what he had found. It was a leg. He shifted along until he was near Rodney's face and frowned at the helmet secured onto the unconscious scientist's head. He patted Rodney's face and John knew that his own sudden choking gasps and coughs would have woken up the man if he had been capable of waking.

He grabbed Rodney under the arms and dragged him backwards. He had become disorientated in the smoke and was rapidly weakening from lack of oxygen and the poisonous effects the particles were having on his lungs. He shouted, "Teyla! Ronon! Call out to me."

"We are still in the corridor." Teyla's voice came from his right.

John turned slightly to adjust his direction and then tugged the heavy form of his unmoving friend along the floor as quickly as he could. He could feel his skin blistering and stretching in the heat and he had no idea how badly Rodney was injured. He needed to get them away from the immediate danger.

"I have asked Ronon to go back to the Jumper for the medical kit and oxygen. He will be back shortly."

John used Teyla's voice as a guide and he soon had himself back in the clear air of the corridor. He laid Rodney out on his back and reached up to swipe the panel again. The door slammed shut and sealed the flames and smoke inside. He then collapsed down against the wall and inhaled wheezing breaths as his system tried to recover from the smoke inhalation.

Rodney had still not moved or spoken and Teyla knelt down next to him. She looked down sadly at his dirty face where the smoke had smeared black marks all over his skin. She listened carefully and heard a faint rattle in his chest, but it barely rose and fell as he struggled to breathe.

She left the helmet on and checked him for any external injuries. There were darkened patches on his arms and legs, but she did not find any more blood under his tac vest as she carefully unzipped it.

Ronon came back while she was wrapping a bandage around the worst cut she had found on Rodney's leg that had not stopped bleeding like the others. She pressed her hand down on the injury when she had finished and furrowed her brow when he still did not twitch or make any sounds.

John wheezed, "Come on, McKay. We don't want to have to lug you all the way back to the Jumper."

Ronon strapped an oxygen mask over Rodney's face and then passed a second one to Sheppard. He held it over his mouth and nose and inhaled deeply.

Ronon crouched down by Rodney and asked, "How is he?"

"I do not know. He has many bruises, cuts and burns. He is having difficultly breathing. We need to get him back to Atlantis." She glanced over at Sheppard, who had his eyes closed and the mask was clutched tightly in his hand as he kept it against his face.

"We need to get both of them back to Atlantis."

Ronon pulled out some more bandages from the med kit and bound Rodney's upper arm.

Rodney suddenly gasped and started choking. His face screwed up in pain as he sucked in a laboured breath and coughed.

Teyla took hold of his hand and said calmingly, "Take slow breaths. You inhaled a lot of smoke."

John's eyes snapped open when he heard Rodney. He stood up shakily and walked over to the rest of his team. He crouched down and lifted away his oxygen mask as he spoke, "So did I, dragging you out of that room you got yourself locked up in. What was it anyway?"

Rodney opened his bloodshot eyes and blinked before he clenched them tightly shut as tears leaked out. He whispered into the mask, "I was wrong," he choked so harshly that his shoulders left the ground. He then said sadly, "I'm sorry."

John asked, "What?"

"You were right. The Borg would adapt… the Replicators… wouldn't stand a chance."

"That doesn't matter now, McKay. Just keep quiet and focus on staying alive."

John turned to Ronon, "Can you carry him?"

Rodney wheezed, "I… can… walk."

"Alright." Ronon grabbed Rodney's hand and pulled the scientist upright. John tried to get round the other side, but Teyla pushed him away easily.

She said, "I am in a better condition than you, Colonel. You still need to be able to fly us back."

Rodney draped his arms over both of their shoulders as they supported him and they slowly walked along the corridor and back to the Jumper.

John grabbed the med kit and wheezed into the oxygen mask he had strapped around his head as he followed them.

* * *

"I can't believe you shot at me!" Rodney said in a loud whisper.

John was in the bed next to his friend in the infirmary. They both had cannulas looped under their noses while they recovered from the smoke inhalation. Rodney was a little more worse for wear and there were bandages around his arms and legs covering the cuts and burns from the exploding panels inside the training Jumper. He was also suffering from a massive headache from the concussion.

John breathed in through his nose and whispered back, "I didn't know it was you! I thought is was just a simulation of orbital weapons platform training!"

He was trying to shout, but his whisper barely carried to Rodney's ears. The scientist whisper-yelled back, "Didn't you wonder why the game got much easier after the first few seconds when your target kept going in a straight line?"

John shrugged, "A little. I just thought it was the first level."

Rodney gritted his teeth and said, "I would've thought you of all people should recognise that a game might be hurting someone in the real world after what happened." Rodney's whisper faded to silence at the end and he reached up a shaking hand and held onto his sore head as his heart monitor bleeped rapidly nearby.

He groaned silently and winced.

John whispered, "Look, I said I was sorry. That ship you were in was pretty clapped out and you did go on the most advanced live fire course."

Rodney started coughing and clutched his throat as he struggled to breathe.

Jennifer came over and clamped an oxygen mask over his face. His choking breaths subsided as she spoke quietly to him. She gave him a drink of water and then put the mask down again.

She frowned at John and said, "You'll be ready to leave in a few hours. Please don't upset him or I'll have to separate you two. He inhaled a lot more of the smoke than you did. He was lucky not to suffer permanent lung damage. He also has a concussion, which won't be helped by you hissing at him."

Rodney furrowed his brow with his eyes closed. Jennifer squeezed his shoulder briefly and he narrowly opened his eyes and nodded at her. She then left the mask in place before she walked away.

John turned to Rodney, who still had his face tightened in pain as he breathed noisily into the mask. John said, "I'm really sorry about what happened, Rodney. The facility has been greenlit for a second mission. A full team are going out to make it safe and then research it with the view to it going operational as a space flight training facility."

Rodney tilted his head over on the pillows and lifted the mask away. He said in a broken voice, "We're okay, Sheppard. But I think I'll need to go there for some training myself when it's working properly." He coughed and quickly replaced the mask before he closed his eyes again.

John smiled and sighed in relief. He tensed up and only just made it to the water by his bed in time to avoid a massive coughing fit. His chest settled back down and he inhaled shallow breaths through his nose.

He quickly glanced at Rodney, who was smiling back at him through the mask. Rodney muttered, "Those emblems were cool. We all need call signs when we go back."

John smirked, "Off Course McKay."

Rodney frowned in anger at first and then in mischief, "Trigger Happy."

John shot back, "Smoked Out."

"Jumper Smasher."

"Crystal Crusher."

The laughter soon subsided into noisy coughing fits which brought Keller back over to stop the bickering.

* * *

_A/N – Anyone got any more names? :P_


	51. Pegasus: The Flying Donkey

_**Pegasus: The Flying Donkey**_

The man sat in the darkened lab and typed on the laptop. He had already been up all night preparing for his task. Everything he had been working on for the last week had been leading up to that morning and he had no desire not to be ready for what he had to do.

He glanced at the clock and smiled. Today was the day he would finally show Dr Rodney McKay exactly what he was capable of. Atlantis' chief scientist would never again be able to criticise and belittle him in front of his colleagues. His grin broadened as he manipulated the controls and he knew for certain that he was onto something big.

* * *

Rodney walked into the main lab at 6am. He rubbed his eyes tiredly to clear the sleep and let his feet guide him on autopilot over to the coffee machine. He picked out his favourite mug and grabbed the handle. As he lifted it up, he took the whole tray with it and three of the other mugs fell onto the floor with a loud crash. One landed on his foot and he gritted his teeth as the noise fully woke him up with a start. He quickly rescued the others before they fell.

He frowned at the tray as he tugged at the mug again a little more gently. It was glued fast to the tray. He gave up on it and looked at the floor. He crouched down and picked up the larger fragments of broken crockery and tossed them into the bin. He left the smaller pieces for the cleaning crews.

He knew his staff would be upset over the smashing of their precious mugs by their clumsy boss, but they would just have to put up with it until the Daedalus next came by. He selected one of the others and made himself a coffee.

He sighed deeply as he walked over to his computer and booted it up. He sniffed the coffee and frowned. He took an experimental sip and coughed. "What the…?" he asked as a foul, gritty substance which tasted like mud went down his throat before he could stop it. He grimaced and put the mug aside.

"Who replaced the coffee supply with _that_?"

He rubbed his eyes again as he closed them in tiredness. He jumped and nearly fell off his stool as a loud Christmas song started blaring from his computer.

_"Once bitten… twice shy… I keep my distance but you still catch my eye…"_

He fumbled to turn off the sound and when it was finally silenced his heart was pounding in fright. He scrubbed a hand through his short hair in exasperation and mumbled, "Well that's one way to wake up…"

He was just about to open and check his emails when his radio buzzed.

_"McKay, please report to level 13 room F."_

"What now?!" He said in exasperation. He slammed his laptop closed and tucked it under his arm. He tapped his radio and answered angrily, "On my way. And this better be good!"

* * *

Rodney stood in the doorway and folded his arms over his chest as the water dripped from him and ran down onto the floor from his drenched clothes. He closed his eyes and said out loud, "One… two… three…"

His laptop suddenly beeped loudly to indicate an incoming appointment reminder.

"…_four_… five… six…"

The computer beeped again and the noise kept growing in volume. He sighed as he flipped it open and hoped he would not be electrocuted while he checked it.

He read through the received message and huffed an annoyed breath. He had drawn the short straw for Jumper maintenance that morning. He did not remember putting the reminder in his calendar to start at 6.30am, but he shrugged it off. Zelenka had probably done it. Anyway, if he started early he could be finished by lunchtime so that he could move onto more important projects.

Rodney glanced down at his soaked clothes and shivered. He closed his eyes sadly and than ran from the room and back to his quarters.

* * *

The man in the lab clicked and clacked on his laptop as he listened to Wham's 'Last Christmas' through the headphones. He smiled as he ran his final checks and brought up his program ready for his plan. He glanced at his playlist and chuckled when he saw the next song was Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody;' another of his favourites.

* * *

A few minutes later, Rodney was back in his quarters, towelling off his hair. He quickly changed out of his damp clothes and then dashed to the transporter. He stepped out into the Jumper bay a moment later.

He frowned when he noticed that one of the Jumpers was already open. He went over to it cautiously and sighed quietly as he mumbled, "As good a place to start as any…"

He stepped into the rear compartment and sat down on the bench. He glanced at his watch; it was 6.45am.

Suddenly the rear hatch closed behind him. He put his computer down and stood up to open the door. He was just reaching out to open the hatch when, to his increasing panic, he heard the engines activate.

He looked into the cockpit in terror, but he only had a brief glimpse of the empty chairs before he was thrown backwards into the rear hatch. He cried out in surprise as he impacted the door and was pinned and crushed against the metal.

He found that he could not breathe as the terrible pressure felt like a weight against him. He managed to choke out, "Inertial dampeners?" just before the darkness in the Jumper turned to early morning light as it streamed through the window when the Jumper left the bay.

The inertial dampeners suddenly came back online and he collapsed down onto the floor and panted as his chest hitched and he was able to breathe again.

He closed his eyes and activated his radio, "McKay to Atlantis?"

There was no reply.

He pushed himself upright and staggered into the cockpit. He sat down in the pilot's seat and was about to try and find out who was flying the Jumper, when the middle bulkhead slammed closed and the same blaring Christmas song started screaming out of the comm.

_"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart…"_

Rodney grimaced and covered his ears to protect himself from the assault.

_"But the very next day you gave it away…"_

McKay howled with the noise, but it took a few seconds before the music cut out. He was left with an unpleasant muffled ringing in his head where his hearing had been damaged from the volume.

When he had recovered sufficiently, he tapped the comm, but he got a jolt of electricity up his arm for the trouble. He whimpered as he held his burnt hand against his chest and closed his eyes. He tried to use his mental control to fly the Jumper, but there was something blocking him. He cried out and clutched his head as an angry headache flared and made it feel like someone was driving and twisting a knife inside his brain.

* * *

The man grinned happily as he sang along with his songs, _"So here it is merry Christmas, everybody's having fun…"_

He then said, "Okay, launch was fine. Inertial dampeners, check. The interface is holding steady. Now, McKay's going to be really pleased with this one! Advanced manoeuvres!"

He hummed where he forgot some of the words and continued his plan.

* * *

Back in the Jumper, Rodney continued to hold his aching head with his undamaged hand and stood up slowly. He looked out of the window. He could see Atlantis far below as the Jumper circled like a vulture soaring high above the city. He tapped the headset over his ear and said, "McKay to Sheppard."

He sighed in relief when a sleepy reply came after an unnerving pause, _"This is Sheppard."_

"Oh, thank God! You have to help me!"

_"What are you talking about, McKay?"_

"I've been kidnapped by a Jumper!" Rodney replied.

"_Hmm,_ right_. I'm not falling for that one,"_ Sheppard drawled.

Rodney frowned in confusion and frustration, "What?"

_"You do know what date it is, McKay?"_

Rodney looked at his watch again. The dial displayed 1st April. Realisation suddenly dawned on him. He also knew that he was completely screwed.

He said desperately, "You _have_ to believe me! I'm in a Jumper above the city. I can't control it and it's torturing me. I think it's going to kill me!"

_"Go back to sleep, Rodney. I'm staying right where I am, thanks. I thought you were a genius. That's a pretty lame attempt for you."_

Rodney scowled and shouted, "Fine, don't help me! You'd better tell the infirmary to be ready though, as things aren't going too well!"

There was no reply. Rodney snarled in disgust and stomped over to the control console again. He addressed it as he spoke, "This isn't funny!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. He then held up his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. You got me. I'm the fool, just take me back to Atlantis."

The Jumper remained on its current course and Rodney furrowed his brow, "Please?"

The inertial dampeners suddenly went offline again and Rodney was thrown into the far wall with a crack as at least one of his ribs splintered from the impact. He slid down onto the floor and rode out the pain as he was jostled around by the spinning ship.

He gasped, "I get the message! Please, just stop."

He coughed and wiped his mouth absently. The Jumper suddenly barrel-rolled and Rodney was thrown up to the ceiling and then down onto the deck. He lay completely still on his front as the new contusions hurt him. He rolled over onto his side and tilted his head back as he held onto his chest and prayed for the nightmare to end.

He opened his watering eyes and spotted his radio and few feet away where it had fallen off. He stretched out with a whimper and grabbed it.

The inertial dampeners were back online again, but it was suddenly very cold and the air thinned down until Rodney was panting and gasping. He tucked the headset behind his ear and said weakly, "Sheppard… Help…"

There was no reply and Rodney's breaths wheezed as sharp bolts of pain ran around his ribcage from every inhalation and exhalation. The frigid air misted in front of his face.

He shivered and felt tears running down his cheeks and freezing his eyelashes together. He forced himself upright and trembled violently as he hugged his arms tightly around his body. He stepped up to the control panel and experimentally pressed the console again.

"Gah!" he exclaimed as another burst of electricity burnt his other hand.

He furrowed his brow and bunched his bleeding hands into his jacket. The shivering sent his broken ribs shifting around inside him and he winced as he felt them pressing like blades ready to cut him. He knew that if the inertial dampeners decided to go offline again he would be so badly sliced internally that he would die before Sheppard realised it was no joke.

He collapsed down onto his knees as his legs buckled. He coughed again and spat onto the deck. His eyes widened as he saw how red his spit was. "Not good, not good, not good," he chanted between his chattering teeth as he crumpled all the way down onto the deck and curled up.

* * *

The man in the lab frowned and shrugged. "Environmental controls, check. The inertial dampeners are still playing up a bit. McKay won't be too happy if I don't get them sorted… There are still a few more systems I haven't used yet. Okay let's have a look…"

* * *

As Rodney lay on the floor of the Jumper in pain and misery, he glanced up at the control console. From his new vantage point he saw that there was a small box fixed to the base of the unit which he had not seen from the seat.

He rolled over and crawled to the pilot's console and lifted his shaking hands up to pry it loose. The Jumper suddenly jolted to the side and he fell down onto his back. He gritted his teeth and forced himself over to the console again.

The central bulkhead door suddenly opened and the distraction sent him sprawling again as the Jumper shifted to the side. He instinctively grabbed the chair to steady himself and the wrenching motion savagely twisted his ribcage. He cried out in agony, but blood gushed up into his throat and quickly choked off his pained cry.

He saw the rear hatch open with his fading vision and the gust of icy air which flowed into the Jumper sent his frayed senses reeling even as they crashed and failed around him…

* * *

The man in the lab frowned as he saw the hatch of the Jumper open. He said, "Hmm, that's a new one. Oh well, no problem…"

He remotely closed the door of the Jumper and sighed.

He was just about to increase the heat in the Jumper, when his headphones were pulled off his head and someone roughly grabbed his shoulders. He was wrenched upright and winced when his arms were brutally squeezed.

"Ronon," he mumbled, "What brings you to the science labs on this fine sunny morning?"

Colonel Sheppard was there too, along with Zelenka and Teyla.

Sheppard snarled, "Kavanagh! What the hell are you doing?"

Kavanagh furrowed his brow and said indignantly, "What does it look like, Colonel," he spat the rank out and continued, "I'm working, something you military men know little about!"

Zelenka ran over to the computer and shook his head, "We were going to test this together later. Why are you doing it now?"

Sheppard frowned and said, "And why did you make McKay go in the Jumper you're testing when it's not ready for a trial run?"

Kavanagh frowned, "There's no-one in that Jumper, Colonel." He tossed his head superiorly and his ponytail swished across his back, "That's why it's called _remote_ control."

Zelenka nodded, "I am bringing the Jumper back to the bay."

Teyla tapped her radio, "Emergency medical team to the Jumper bay."

Sheppard turned to Ronon and indicated Kavanagh, "Take him to the brig!"

Kavanagh stood there in utter confusion. He folded his arms over his chest as he said, "What? But I haven't done anything wrong!"

Sheppard ran out of the room to the nearest transporter with Teyla. Kavanagh shouted after him, "I stayed up all night to finish this project and you send me to the brig! What kind of base is this?"

His voice trailed off at the end as Ronon eyed him dangerously. Kavanagh hunched over. He looked at the ground and held up his hands, "Alright, I'm going."

He continued to grumble all the way to the brig as Ronon stalked behind him and he flinched thinking he was going to be hit by the tall Satedan at any moment.

* * *

Sheppard and Teyla reached the bay after the medical team. Carson was pacing around impatiently as the Jumper lowered down and landed. The rear hatch opened and his team swarmed inside.

Sheppard peered around, but he could not see any sign of McKay beyond the crouched figures in the rear compartment. A few seconds later they came out again and lifted a prone figure up onto the waiting gurney.

Sheppard saw Rodney then and frowned at the bandage over McKay's bare chest which was turning bright red as he watched. Rodney had a breathing tube in his mouth and Carson tapped his radio, "Prep the OR, Dr McKay has an open rib fracture and a punctured lung…"

The rest of his speech was lost in the bustle as his team wheeled the gurney away. John and Teyla followed them down to the infirmary and Ronon joined them a few minutes later.

* * *

Rodney sat up in the infirmary a few days later. His chest was wrapped in bandages and he winced every time he took a breath. His hearing had not been permanently damaged and there was just a quiet whistle in his head which was already diminishing.

John was sitting next to him and McKay was glowered back at him. He muttered in between gasps, "You ignored my distress call, Sheppard!"

"I'm _really_ sorry, Rodney. The radio didn't work properly and I couldn't get through to you when Radek called me a few minutes later to say there was a Jumper missing. He was going to help you with your maintenance rounds. He led us to Kavanagh and his project and we rescued you that way."

Rodney grimaced as Sheppard continued, "We were actually going to fool you later and all go on much safer and more controlled training flight in the remote control Jumper."

"Oh, wonderful!" Rodney hissed.

"But Kavanagh decided he needed to test it first."

"The little weasel. I hope you've thrown away the key."

John shook his head and furrowed his brow, "He didn't know you were onboard, Rodney. I know he was careless not to check…"

"Too right." Rodney closed his watering eyes and said, "You know he listens to Christmas songs all year round?"

John raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Really?" he said flatly. "Rodney you do know you're a few days late now for April Fools?"

Rodney looked back at him in earnest, "He _does_!"

John shrugged and leant back in his chair, "Whatever you say, McKay."

Rodney moved his hand up, but thought better of it. He said, "You know what? I think I'm going to book the morning off and sleep right through until midday next April 1st."

John smiled as Rodney closed his eyes and he said, "That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

A/N – There you are. As always, I am grateful to hear what you think and whether you enjoy my stories! I know I haven't updated this for a while, so that was just a little PJM diversion for you. Always remember to _**check my profile page**_ for info on WIPs (works in progress) and upcoming stories.


	52. The Crash Repair Centre

_A/N - Set in early Season 3_

**_The Crash Repair Centre_**

Dr Malcolm Brooks stood in the Jumper bay and sighed.

"'Join the expedition to see and research things you have never imagined,'" he grumbled out in recitation of the initial request he had received and answered.

He had given up an excellent research and lecturing post at a highly renowned university on Earth the moment he had signed the Secrets Act and found out exactly what the cryptic message had meant. He had been promised the chance to study highly advanced alien technology in another galaxy and had jumped at the chance.

Now here he was, two years later, still standing next to the spaceships called 'Puddle Jumpers,' which had been interesting at first, but were now almost his sole responsibility to maintain.

Dr Zelenka would help if they needed any upgrades or rapid repairs completed. Every day Brooks had to beat panels flat and reattach them after another marine pilot had been sloppy. He would replace windscreens and replenish drone supplies. The premier team often came back with the wires hanging down in the rear compartment. McKay always had such a way with the power crystals that it took Brooks most of the day to put them back where they belonged and change out the burnt ones.

He would watch the teams landing their Jumpers from behind another of the ships and felt the anger in him when they came out laughing and patting each other on the back. They were alive, yes, but the mess of the ship they had used to escape whatever jolly they had been on would need to be sorted out by him alone.

In fact, the only time Brooks felt valued was when he was allowed to fly the Jumpers using his ATA gene therapy and dip them in the ocean if they came back dirty. Sometimes he was even allowed to run a test flight, but he was not a pilot and that was not what he had signed up for.

He was staring at the most recent wreck to have limped through the gate and wobbled up to land in the Jumper bay. He tilted his head to the side as he studied the outer hull. The windscreen was cracked and one of the drive pods could not fully retract into the hull as it was hanging on by a thread. Numerous dents pockmarked the surface of the metal all over the ship and a large gash in the side tore the outer shell in half as it dragged along the length of the vessel.

Brooks tapped the required work into his tablet and baulked at the estimated labour time to repair the thing in order to get it airborne again.

He was so fed up with having to repair the Jumpers all the time that he had even tried to get reassigned to another department. He had asked Radek first, but he had been talked out of it.

He remembered Radek's words, "You are doing a very good job here, Dr Brooks, but I will see if I can add you to the rotation and ask someone else to take over for a while."

However, there had been no-one to relieve him, no matter who he asked or how hard he pushed, he was always left on Puddle Jumper repair duty. He even went to the head of science with his problem, but McKay had said something about "Sucking it up" and then brushed him off as he had gone back to whatever he was doing.

Brooks had found that people tended to slip through the cracks in McKay's department. His lack of people skills was well known by anyone who had heard of him. He viewed other people as a resource, rather than living, breathing and thinking beings like himself and this only made Brooks more annoyed at him than he ever had been before. He may be a brilliant scientist, but he should not be leading a department on merit alone. It took more than intelligence and in Brooks' opinion, McKay did not have the right to be the chief scientist of Atlantis.

He was so lost in his angry thoughts that he did not hear the other person approaching until a grating voice spoke, "Radek's called in sick today. As a favour he asked me to help out with the Jumpers as you're getting behind." There was a momentary pause before he added, "Again."

Brooks smiled, the culture he had stolen from the biology department and slipped into Zelenka's coffee had worked.

He hid his emotions as he spun round and faced the man he had wanted to help him that day. Everything was playing into his hands. He had finally managed to get McKay on his own and he would now be able to argue his case without interruptions.

Rodney's eyes widened when he caught sight of the Jumper behind Brooks. He said, "Is that even repairable?"

Brooks pursed his lips and said, "Yes, but it's going to take us all day."

He crouched down and opened the toolkit he had been holding and pulled out a long screwdriver. He was glad to be in his element around his department head and able to issue the orders. He said, "Strip off the damaged panels and I'll fix the engine." It also gave him the chance to delegate the worst tasks.

Brooks straightened up and saw that Rodney was looking at his hands and frowning, "And break all my nails? I don't think so!" He folded his arms over his chest and glared.

Brooks' grip on his tablet and the tool tightened as he felt annoyance flaring in his heart. He said carefully, "Actually, there's something I've been wanting to ask you. I'd like to switch sections to the technology lab."

McKay narrowed his eyes, "And why would you want to do that?"

Brooks floundered then, because his main reason was to alleviate the boredom. He knew he would never get a transfer if he said that to his unsympathetic boss, so he said, "Because I have years of experience in engineering and I've been constantly assigned to this bay for the whole time I've been here."

McKay lowered his arms down from where he had had them folded over himself. He scratched his head as he asked in confusion, "But I thought you were just a grease monkey?"

Brooks suddenly felt two years of anger burst forth like a dam breaking and before he could stop himself he released a long growl in fury and smashed the tablet in his left hand over McKay's head.

Rodney shouted indignantly, "What was that for?" He stumbled drunkenly and held the side of his head where the computer had struck him. He fumbled for his radio to call for help, but it was missing as it had skittered across the floor after the impact.

Brooks' anger intensified at McKay's ignorance and he shouted, "Two years! For two years you've had me doing this crappy job! Scraping muck off these ships and pulling out dents while you give yourself all the most interesting work and take all the credit for the best discoveries!"

Blood was running down the side of McKay's neck from a matted area of his hair and he blinked slowly. He slurred, "But aren't you an engineer? That's what you do."

Brooks lowered his voice and he dropped the broken tablet on the floor as he rounded on McKay. "I have advanced degrees in engineering, yes, but I'm not a car mechanic."

McKay was struggling to remain upright and his voice was weak as he said, "Then this job is perfect for you! These are advanced spaceships, not cars." He winced and asked angrily, "Why the hell did you hit me anyway?"

Brooks ran at him and before he knew what was going on, McKay shrieked and flinched backwards. Brooks brought the screwdriver forward and jabbed Rodney with the sharp end again. It was still not enough to do anything other than bruise, but McKay began fighting back weakly as his head injury drained his strength to practically nothing.

This enraged Brooks even more and he thumped Rodney in the stomach with his free hand. McKay bent over just as Brooks used the screwdriver again. The first two strikes had hit bone and only the third strike to the softer part of McKay's belly finally managed to punch through the thin material of his shirt and then his skin. McKay screamed in agony as Brooks kept driving the tool into him until the implement was well imbedded. He pulled on the handle to try and retrieve it, but it was stuck fast. The blood and tissue around the smooth metal had created a suction and sealed it inside him.

McKay was still standing upright and he was now silent as he looked down at himself and then at Brooks in shock. He reached up a shaking hand to touch his radio.

"Trying to call for help?" Brooks thought angrily, even though McKay's radio had been missing since he had used the tablet. Brooks had lost his weapon so he used his bunched up fist to smack McKay in the face. Rodney's head flew back from the force of the blow and when it returned to the centre, his nose was now bleeding.

His face screwed up in pain and he released a pitiful whimper from his partially opened mouth. His hands went down and curled underneath the handle sticking out of him and he finally had the sense to fold down onto the floor as he collapsed in a heap.

Brooks was still angry, but suddenly his rational mind kicked in and his face fell. His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened as he watched the still figure on the ground. McKay was now unconscious and blood was pooling around his head, but nothing was coming from the stab wound, at least nothing externally.

Brooks continued to watch him and shook his head as he whispered in shock, "What have I done?"

He left his victim where he had fallen and ran from the Jumper Bay in fright.

* * *

John sat in the mess hall at lunchtime and frowned. He was supposed to have been meeting Rodney, but he had not yet turned up. He tapped his radio, "Sheppard to McKay?"

There was no reply. John knew that Rodney always got engrossed in his work and sometimes would not answer his radio if he was busy. John grabbed an extra sandwich and walked over to the nearest transporter.

A few minutes later, John was standing in the science lab and a sense of foreboding had started as he could not find Rodney in there either. He spotted Radek as he hunched over a desk, holding his stomach and looking far too pale to be working.

John went over to him and said, "I thought you were sick?"

"I am, but I find it better to keep my mind on other things."

John glanced at the codes scrolling up the screen in front of Radek and shook his head. He said, "Have you seen McKay?"

"No. I asked him to help Dr Brooks with the Jumpers today. He has not been down here since this morning."

John felt a tight knot of worry in his chest so he jogged to the transporter and pressed the screen. He rematerialized and ran into the Jumper Bay. He immediately spotted Rodney on the floor next to a Jumper which appeared to be no more than a piece of scrap metal.

John ran over and knelt down next to the prone form. He tapped his radio, "Medical emergency in the Jumper Bay!"

Rodney was curled around an object protruding from his stomach as he lay on his side. John felt for a pulse and found a very weak and rapid one in Rodney's neck. He frowned when he saw the blood coming from a nasty head injury and took off his jacket and laid it over the wound to try and staunch the flow. He had no idea how long Rodney had been lying there.

"Just a few more minutes, Rodney," he said to his unconscious friend.

He glanced around the bay, but he could not see Rodney's attacker nearby. However, he did spot the toolkit a few metres away and matched the screwdrivers with the object sticking out of McKay. He winced and narrowed his eyes.

The medical team arrived and Carson pushed him aside as they worked and lifted Rodney up onto the gurney. Carson said, "Oh! Who did this to you, Rodney?"

Sheppard said, "Don't worry. We'll find them."

"Aye, make sure you do."

John knew Rodney was now in safe hands, but he tapped his radio anyway, "Ronon, Teyla. Rodney's been attacked, I need you to go to the infirmary and make sure no-one tries to finish what they started."

John went down to the Control Room to speak with Elizabeth and call up the video logs to see what had happened.

* * *

Rodney was very weak for several days after the attack. Carson kept him sedated to let the swelling caused by his head injuries go down. Surgery to remove the screwdriver and repair the damage had taken a very long time, but Carson was confident he would make a full recovery.

John sat next to him in the infirmary and frowned at the white bandage wrapped around Rodney's head and the dark circles of bruising around his eyes. He had watched the attack on the video feed, which made it even harder to see Rodney this way.

McKay winced as he narrowly opened his eyes. John gave him a little water and said, "We found him over in the panelling lab on the West Pier."

Rodney croaked, "Brooks?"

John grimaced, "Yes. He stepped into the machine used to flatten and create new panels for the Jumpers. He sealed it and then mentally activated it with his gene."

"Oh!"

Rodney furrowed his brow as he turned his head to the side and tried to move his hands up. He quickly thought better of it and lowered them back down to his sides.

Rodney spoke weakly as he said, "He was bored with his job. I thought people were only joking when they say, 'Bored to death.' I should've paid more attention."

"We know. We did some research after we found him and what he did to you. He's put in thirty separate transfer requests over the past two years. You denied him every time stating he was, 'Perfectly suited to his current role.'"

"I thought he was." Rodney said sadly. His eyes were watering and John called Carson over.

"Why didn't he just go back to Earth?" Rodney asked.

"Maybe he thought if he stayed he could eventually move onto a more interesting role."

John sighed and patted Rodney's arm, "While you're stuck in here and with your permission, I'm going to ask Zelenka to do a shakeup of the science department to make sure no-one else has slipped through the cracks and is about to go psycho on us."

Rodney grimaced and his bruised face was lined with pain as he whispered, "Please do."

Carson injected Rodney's IV line and as he drifted off to sleep his face smoothed out.

John leant in once Carson had gone and said in Rodney's ear, "Consider it done, but Jumper repairs will have to be on rotation now."

* * *

_A/N - As __**ed263/ElisaD263**__ knows, I got quite badly mentally whumped at work recently. So my mind thought up a particularly nasty way to hurt poor Rodney. Finding a story to wrap around it was another matter though… Ouch! I hope you enjoyed it!_


	53. Broken Wings

_Written for and thanks to __**RodneyIsGodney**__, who provided the plot bunny that started this one off._

**_Broken Wings_**

Rodney was waiting anxiously in the F302 bay on the Daedalus. He had been beamed aboard earlier so that he could get started with reconfiguring the sensors. They were due to investigate an anomaly detected by the ship's long range sensors in a system without a stargate.

The Jumper could not be beamed aboard though, so Sheppard was flying it up separately. Teyla and Ronon had also opted for the slower method.

Rodney remembered Teyla telling him about the unease she felt over being broken down and reassembled in a white light. Rodney had explained that the Stargate did the same thing, but Teyla had still been reluctant to agree when a more conventional way was available.

Rodney rolled his eyes where he was standing alone and mumbled, "Because flying in a Puddle Jumper is like driving a car!"

He had only come down to the bay to check on the equipment Zelenka was supposed to have installed in the craft. All the other upgrades on the Daedalus were ready, but he still needed to double check the Jumper before they broke orbit. They had a recon mission planned with the more advanced Ancient sensor array in the tiny ship.

Rodney tapped his foot impatiently and folded his arms over his chest while he waited. "I could've written out the entire formula for how the hyperdrive works by now!" he whined

He activated his radio, "McKay to Sheppard."

"_I'm a little busy, McKay,"_ came the strained reply.

Rodney missed the tone as he carried on, "Can't you hurry up? I could've eaten a four course dinner by now and be ready for more."

No reply came and Rodney sighed and pursed his lips. He glared at the open space beyond the bay door shield as Lantea came into view.

Rodney had no appreciation for the beauty of the planet below and how the bright hazy curve of the glowing orb blurred into black where space was visible behind. He just wanted a Puddle Jumper with its messy haired pilot and alien passengers to appear in front of him.

"Sheppard." He said in a low guttural tone. He shook his head and sighed, "Sheppard?"

Rodney was starting to get a little worried now, "We have a mission to carry out, Colonel, but we can't do it without that metal box you're supposed to be flying up to the Daedalus."

Static met Rodney's ear through the headset and he frowned.

He glanced at the empty F302s around him, but he was alone. He tapped his radio again, "McKay to Bridge."

"_This is Caldwell, go ahead, Doctor."_

"Where's Sheppard with the Puddle Jumper?"

There was a brief pause before he said, _"They've run into some trouble courtesy of a large piece of debris left behind from a Wraith ship destroyed in orbit a while ago."_

Rodney's heart clenched and he squeaked, "What kind of 'trouble?'"

"_We're not sure yet, but they should be landing in a moment."_

Rodney sighed, "Alright."

He started pacing. They probably did not know he was in the bay, but he wanted to be ready for them. He hoped the sensors had not been damaged by the debris or the mission would have to be put back yet again. He had already been waiting for months to get it green lit.

He had his back to the open door when the alarms started sounding. He stopped walking to watch as the Jumper came in at a terrifying speed and headed straight for him. The shield allowed its passage without depressurising the bay. A tremendous wave of air proceeded the craft and flames immediately started streaking out the back of one engine in the oxygenated atmosphere.

Rodney yelped in fear and dived out of the way as it flew by. The wake of the craft blasted him as he rolled and he was helped along even more.

The Jumper slammed into the deck, near where Rodney lay sprawled out and bruised, as it succumbed to the gravity plating in the bay. Waves rippled out through the metal like an unstoppable trampoline and threw Rodney up into the air. He reached the highest point of his new method of flying and then fell back down and was smacked against the deck.

His breath left him and he rolled onto his side with his eyes closed where it felt like half of his bones had been shattered. He flopped over onto his back and lay out flat and immobile on the buckled floor as a hideous scraping sound of metal on metal reached his ears.

He prayed that it was over and someone would find him soon before he bled to death, because he could not even contemplate moving his arm to try and get to his radio. He was too afraid that he would only make the pain worse, so he clenched his teeth and hissed.

He seemed to have been lying there an awfully long time without much needed medical attention, so much so that the pain had diminished from the bruises and broken bones until he could breathe a little easier.

He decided to open his eyes narrowly and find out what was keeping the medical team from finding him with their numbing drugs. He had a fleeting glimpse of the F302 looming over him where it had been upset by the Jumper crash and damaged deck plating, before a small jolt suddenly made it pitch over towards him.

He covered his head with his arms, ignoring the flares of pain which stabbed through his limbs and chest and screamed.

He felt a heavy and unrelenting weight impact and crush his unprotected midsection and his breath choked out in a fountain of forcefully spurted blood from his mouth.

The true extent of the agony did not quite reach his brain before he blacked out and in that instant of sharpness, he thought, "This has to be what they mean by, 'the pain of death.' I'm about to die…"

And then he did.

* * *

Sheppard brought the Jumper out of the bay on Atlantis and tilted its nose up lazily until he was pointing it almost vertically up towards the deep blue cloudless sky above.

Teyla was sitting next to him and Ronon was behind her. He was surprised that they had not opted to get beamed up onto the Daedalus, but had let it pass.

Rodney had been almost totally unmanageable recently in his obsession and excitement over the mission he had had authorised. He spent most of his time pouring over schematics on his laptop and telling everyone in earshot how wonderful he was for coming up with such a brilliant plan.

Even Sheppard had found the scientist's manner more grating than usual. He was glad for a short reprieve while McKay worked on the Daedalus to plot the course and upgrade the sensors to his pernickety need.

He sighed and looked across at Teyla. She glanced back at him and smiled sweetly. He said, "Should only take us a few minutes to get there."

Ronon leant forwards and rested his arms on the back of Teyla's chair as he said, "What does McKay want us for on this mission?"

Teyla nodded, "It is purely scientific. There will be very little danger, so I am also unsure why we have been asked to come."

Sheppard shook his head, "You know McKay. He can attract trouble even when he's on his own on an uninhabited planet."

Teyla said, "That is true, but we are not visiting any planets in the system."

"No," Sheppard agreed, "But we're his team and we stick together. He comes with us on the trade missions, so we go with him on the science ones."

Teyla blinked slowly and nodded with the same smile as earlier.

Ronon huffed and sat back in his seat heavily.

The Jumper broke through the upper atmosphere and the sky turned black as the stars came out. Sheppard was still looking across at Teyla when a sudden jolt rocked the ship and a frantic bleeping noise started.

Sheppard spun back to the front and brought up the HUD. They had flown straight into a small piece of debris and it had become lodged in the engine. He had not bothered to raise the shields and the proximity sensors had not picked it up, probably due to McKay tweaking them to such an extent that Sheppard was having trouble locating the Daedalus in amongst all the highly detailed radiation readings playing across the HUD and console in front of him.

"_McKay to Sheppard."_

"I'm a little busy, McKay," Sheppard ground out as he wrestled the spinning ship back under control.

_"Can't you hurry up? I could've eaten a four course dinner by now and be ready for more."_

Although it pained John, he had to change the channel and cut Rodney off, "Sheppard to Daedalus."

_"Go ahead."_

"We've sustained some damage from what is probably a piece of old Hive ship still in orbit. We're coming in hot."

_"Acknowledged."_

Sheppard did not fancy his chances during orbital re-entry not to crash somewhere on Lantea. There was an awful lot of ocean to splashdown in as Rodney had once discovered.

He tried to cut power to the engine, but it remained active where some of the relays were damaged. He wished Rodney was with them and could dash into the rear compartment to fix everything, but he was on the Daedalus and clearly running short on patience.

Teyla held her seat as John weaved the Jumper unsteadily towards the rather small looking open bay of the ship ahead of them.

Sheppard sighed in relief as he managed to guide the damaged Jumper right into the bay, but the artificial gravity made it crash and scrape along the deck rather than hover into land like it usually did.

John gripped the controls and glared at the speed and warnings flashing across the HUD so he did not see the man in front of them until Teyla cried, "Rodney!"

Sheppard's eyes widened and he turned the sticks, but he no longer had any control. He watched as Rodney flung himself to the side and quickly switched the HUD and watched the life sign as it only seemed to miss being clipped by the Jumper by mere inches.

He could not allow himself any respite though as the Jumper was still moving towards the looming rear of the hanger bay. He changed the HUD again and it gradually slowed until it stopped and John tapped his radio, "Sheppard to McKay. Rodney, please come in."

He was met by silence, which meant one of two things, both of them unpleasant; Rodney had either lost his radio, or he was unable to call for help because he was injured.

John quickly changed tack as he assumed the worst. Teyla peered back at him in fright and Ronon frowned, "Sheppard to Daedalus."

_"Caldwell."_

"I need you to lock the transporter onto the life sign outside the Jumper in the hanger bay and beam him directly to the Atlantis infirmary."

There was a pause and in that time, Sheppard held his breath and his heart skipped a beat. _"We're only reading three life signs in the hanger bay, Colonel. And they're all on the Jumper."_

Sheppard thought his heart had stopped permanently, but it let him know it was still going by palpitating in his chest.

He leapt out of his seat and Ronon and Teyla followed closely on his heels as he opened the Jumper's rear hatch and sprinted out into the bay.

"Rodney?" He called out in fear, but there was no reply.

The hanger was a complete mess. Several F302's had skittered back into the walls where the deck was buckled and a long furrow of twisted metal marked the path of the Jumper. John did not have time to marvel at the destruction he had caused. He pointed at Teyla and she nodded and separated from them as she searched the area just behind the Jumper and the F302s on the side where they had seen Rodney moving out of the way.

Ronon left him at the next F302 and nimbly climbed over the sharp edges of metal and hills and furrows of the twisted deck.

That left John with the last F302 and he could see it had sustained the most damage. One of the supports holding it up had been dislodged and it was tilted at a crazy angle where its wing rested on the deck.

He suddenly spotted Rodney and ran over to him. His face was covered in blood and the tip of the wing appeared to be imbedded in him as he lay there. The furrow he had rolled into held most of the weight and was the only thing preventing it from completely cutting him in half, but it still looked like it was crushing him as it disappeared where it was buried into his abdomen.

Sheppard grabbed Rodney's arm and hit his radio again. He had trouble keeping his voice even as he said, "Bridge, lock onto my life sign and beam me to Atlantis' infirmary!"

John held Rodney tightly and they both dematerialised in white and he was then crouching in the middle of the infirmary many miles from where he had been a moment ago.

Rodney's chest did not rise or fall as he lay there after the pressure on him had been removed. Blood poured from his mouth, but he was as dead as the life sign detector had confirmed and he did not move.

Carson pulled John away and asked, "What happened to him?" as he and his staff quickly checked Rodney's vitals, but finding none, they slit his shirt open and did not even try lifting him up onto the bed as Carson started chest compressions where he still lay on the floor.

Someone had attached a heart monitor to him and it rang out in a steady monotone which cut through Sheppard's head and set his teeth on edge unpleasantly.

The team worked methodically and efficiently, but no-one seemed to have noticed that Sheppard was standing there in shock as he looked on. He felt totally lost even as horror and bile rose in his throat when he saw the black indentation in Rodney's pale midsection.

Numerous other purple bruises covered him and he felt helplessness and the need to do something overwhelming him. He watched as each compression seemed to crush Rodney's ribs down flat and almost called out for them to stop when he saw a particularly nasty bruise being pressed under Carson's hands.

Rodney's face was covered by a mask as another member of the team forced air into him. They did not even clean the blood off his face and it quickly made a mess of all their nice sterile equipment as they tried to revive him.

"_Had it been too long?"_ Sheppard asked himself. _"Would he be brain damaged if he ever allowed them to get his heart to start beating again on its own?"_

John dreaded to think what his life would be like without Rodney by his side with his constant grating, but honest, put downs.

Suddenly there was a small hitch in the high-pitched whine of the heart monitor where the lead had been clipped to Rodney's finger. Carson started calling out commands which John could not understand. The bleeps continued until they got faster, but they were uneven and faltering and John was worried as he did not understand what was happening.

The medical team wrapped all manner of supports around Rodney's head and neck and kept him completely still as they slid a backboard under him. They stuck tape across his forehead and Carson quickly inserted a nasty looking tube into Rodney's mouth when the staff member with the air bag moved away briefly.

They lifted him up onto a gurney, and wheeled him out of the main infirmary into surgery.

No-one looked at Sheppard or said anything that he could understand. He glanced down at his shaking and bloody hands. There were spots of red on the floor in front of him, surrounded by discarded equipment and packaging where they had not had time to clean up yet.

"John?"

Sheppard continued to stare and stare. He heard echoes of the events which had just played out before him as he focused his eyes on the blood until the rest of the room seemed to fade away. All that he saw was red, where Rodney had given up his life blood, just as he gave up his time and risked his life every day for the humans not only on Atlantis or in the Pegasus Galaxy, but on Earth too.

"John?"

The quiet female voice was accompanied by a light pressure on his upper arm, gently tugging him away from the evidence of the horror in front of him.

He turned around and saw Teyla and Ronon standing there.

Ronon said, "They beamed us down soon after," he gestured at the floor and frowned.

John said, "The F302… it was… Oh, Rodney!"

Teyla furrowed her brow and guided him away from the infirmary and out into the corridor. She asked, "How is he?"

"He died. Carson's with him, they only just managed to revive him."

"How long?" Ronon asked.

"I don't know."

Teyla squeezed his arm and said, "He is in good hands, perhaps we should speak with Dr Weir? She will not know what happened yet."

John was dreading that confrontation. If only he had been paying more attention, Rodney would not be lying on the operating table having just been crushed to death. He wondered if his friend had felt anything or if he had been unconscious the whole time after he hit the deck.

Caldwell would also want to know what just happened to his ship so no doubt he would be on Sheppard's case before Rodney was even out of surgery. That was, if he survived it at all…

* * *

"It wasn't your fault," Rodney whispered and winced.

John was leaning in as he sat right next to McKay in the infirmary so that he could hear every single quiet word that left his friend's lips.

John took in each uttered syllable in gratitude as he had been so convinced that Rodney was not going to make it having spent such a long time in surgery a few days before. He had been unsure whether he would ever hear anything leave McKay's mouth again, so every hissing whisper was weighed and remembered in John's mind and he vowed never to take anything for granted again, where Rodney was concerned.

Rodney's face was pale and his eyelids drooped down tiredly as a combination of the drugs used to suppress the pain and the weakness left from his injuries drew him closer to sleep.

"Of course it was, McKay! I should've kept my eyes on the road."

Rodney blinked slowly and pried his eyes open with great difficulty. His hands shifted slightly as he tried to gesture as he spoke, but he flinched and stopped moving. "No, it wasn't. You wouldn't have seen it. Even on normal sensors."

John furrowed his brow as Rodney closed his eyes again and fell asleep. He looked along the scientist as he lay there and was still shocked and horrified by the shear number of leads connected to him. Bandages covered him under the sheet pulled up to his chest.

The science mission on the Daedalus had been postponed while repairs were carried out. The ship was due to leave for the return trip to Earth and would not be back for at least another month. Plenty of time, Carson had said, for Rodney to be able to supervise the next attempt.

Carson came over and noted down some readings from Rodney's softly beeping monitors.

John asked quietly, "How's he doing?"

Carson sighed and adjusted one of the many leads which was threaded under the sheet. "He nearly died." John raised his eyebrows, "I mean permanently. Several of his internal organs were badly damaged and he has severe bruising to much of his body. We only just managed to save him and it was touch and go for a while."

John nodded and looked at the white sheet covering evidence of the horrendous bleeding Rodney had had inside him when he was found. Carson said, "I'll need you to leave now, Colonel, so that he can rest. He's still very weak."

"But…" John started, as he turned and glanced up at Beckett. Carson was looking at him kindly and he turned to face Rodney again. John waved his hand across to indicate Rodney and said, "I can't. I did this to him, I won't make a sound, but I'm not leaving him alone again."

Carson furrowed his brow and shook his head, "Nae, it wasn't you. Like most things we hear in the Pegasus Galaxy, it was the Wraith who did this to him."

John frowned at Carson's wisdom and the doctor rested a hand on John's shoulder briefly before walking away.

John leant in again and before he knew what he was doing, he took Rodney's hand in his own. He was mildly embarrassed by his need for the contact and hoped that Rodney did not wake up. He felt the cool, but certainly not cold, warmth of the skin on his own and was satisfied that, yes, Rodney was alive and would soon be berating him about anything from his hairstyle to his command structure. He quickly laid the limp hand down and then sat back in the chair.

Teyla and Ronon joined him a few minutes later and they remained silently watchful over their friend while he got better.

* * *

_A/N - Yup, I had yet another really bad day in RL... It's all good from a Rodney whumping perspective though :D I hope you enjoyed it :)_


	54. A Ray of Sunshine

_A/N – This is a continuation of the 'Hundred Ways Rodney Felt Pain' story I wrote called 'Yellow.' I'll paste it at the start to save you from having to go back and find it to recap._

**_Yellow_**

"I can feel my skin stretching and blistering in this heat," Rodney complained honestly.

"Aren't you wearing your sun cream?" Sheppard asked.

"Yes," he snapped. "But it doesn't stop me being hot!" He felt anger building up inside him.

His team mates ignored his moaning, even as his feet sunk so deeply into the fine sand with every step that the grains flowed over the opening of each shoe.

He had sunglasses on, but there was only one colour filling his vision on the desert world.

Sheppard laughed as they crested the top of a high dune, but the sound was devoid of any happiness. "Well, we've got the sand, but where's the beach?"

"And the scantily clad women," Rodney added with a sly smile.

Ronon smirked and Teyla rolled her eyes at the men.

The twin suns shone down and after a while Teyla said, "This heat is most unpleasant. Where is the energy reading, Dr McKay?"

Rodney was pressing the skin of his right forearm, checking for burns. He abruptly stopped and folded his arms over his chest, "See, even Teyla says this place is awful!" He waved up at the suns and grimaced, "We'll all get instant skin cancer in this inferno. We should have brought a Jumper instead of going on this death march."

Ronon looked indifferent as he spoke, "You said the reading was, 'close to the gate,' McKay."

"It was!" Rodney whined. He lowered his voice and said under his breath, "But it's moved away now."

Sheppard sighed and spun around to look at him sternly. Rodney flinched back and was glad he could not see his team leader's eyes. He only saw the endless sea of sand reflected in the sunglasses.

"Why is it moving away from us?" Sheppard asked.

"I don't know!" McKay squeaked indignantly, "Maybe your hair scared it away."

"Or it heard your whining," Ronon mumbled.

"How far?" Sheppard asked in disappointment.

Rodney drew his scanner forward miserably and said, "Ten miles."

Ronon grunted, "That's not far."

"It is in this sauna! Especially when your feet have been rubbed raw by sandpaper and your skin's crispy burnt and hanging off!"

Teyla winced and Sheppard's face fell as he said, "Alright, you win, McKay. Let's get a Jumper."

Rodney smiled smugly, but quickly stopped when his dry lips split open.

They all turned around and retraced their rapidly fading foot holes in the shifting sand back to the gate.

Rodney knew there was sand chafing the skin in between his toes and it felt like he was bleeding. He doubted whether he would be able to walk at all very soon. He looked at the scanner again sadly and the energy reading was now completely out of range.

* * *

_**A Ray of Sunshine**_

The Jumper flew through the gate a day later and they were once again back at the desert world, but this time they were flying above the sea of sand as they tracked the moving energy reading.

Rodney sighed in relief as cool air flowed over him from the air conditioning in the Jumper and belied the temperature of the air outside.

John grinned over at him and said, "Maybe we should turn up the heat a little? It'd give us more of a feel for the mission."

Rodney glared at him in disbelief and Ronon chuckled in the seat behind them.

"Just bring up the HUD, Sheppard," Rodney ordered.

John gave him a lopsided smile before turning to the front again. The display flickered on and the image zoomed out until it was showing readings for the whole continent.

"What is that?" Teyla asked when a bright white line of energy came into view.

Rodney hummed and tapped a few of the controls on his console. The HUD changed until it showed the atmosphere and the land was a horizontal line across the image.

"Is that a space station?" Sheppard asked.

"Yes, well, there's definitely _something_ in orbit. The energy reading is coming from it and moving across the surface of the planet."

"What's in orbit?" Ronon mumbled.

Rodney looked up and out of the window, "I don't know! But whatever it is it's channelling massive amounts of power down to the surface. In fact it's a good thing we never found the reading visible on the planet as the beam is superheated and moving at hundreds of miles per hour according to this."

"So we'd have been more crisply grilled than just by the suns?" John said.

Rodney looked at his arms again where he was wearing a short sleeved t-shirt in anticipation of possible extra vehicular activities on the scorching planet. He winced at the redness of his skin which had still not fully healed despite the balm Carson had given him to rub in.

He did not grace Sheppard's comment with a verbal reply but said, "Take us into orbit and we can run some more detailed scans to find out exactly what it is."

John nodded and gave the energy beam a wide berth as he piloted the Jumper up into the sky and out into space. He flew it towards the flat, circle of energy floating in space on the HUD.

Rodney examined the readings on his tablet and his eyebrows rose. "It's definitely a space station, probably Ancient." His eyes suddenly widened in excitement, "Hmm, whoa! It's massive! These readings indicate that the whole structure is at least a mile in diameter."

"What is it doing?" Teyla asked as she leant forwards in her seat so that she could peer at the HUD and out of the windscreen.

"It seems to be channelling energy from the suns' rays. It's absorbing them through a large disc and focusing them so that only a single beam is emitted on the other side."

"Like a solar powered space gun?" John asked excitedly.

"If that works for you, Sheppard."

"Cool…"

"Can we take a closer look?" Ronon asked. He did not need to lean around McKay to see the readings. He just stretched his neck a little and was able to get a clear view over the top of the hunched scientist's head.

Rodney clicked and clacked on his computer for a few seconds. "Yes. There's a docking port and what looks like a control centre here."

He pointed to the schematic of the approaching station on the HUD and indicated a small protrusion from the main ring structure. "The rest of the station is purely for collecting and focusing the energy. There are no other sections accessible."

Sheppard guided the Jumper over and into an open door. They flew through a short and well lit tunnel before emerging in a Jumper sized airlock. John sat back in his seat and said, "Autopilot's been engaged."

The space station snagged the craft and cycled it through the airlock before another door opened and it was lowered down to the ground in a bay.

Rodney was tapping his armrest nervously and said, "Definitely Ancient. Let's just hope it lets us get away when we're done."

Sheppard gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

Rodney grimaced and muttered, "Not now that you've said that."

The Jumper landed and the rear hatch automatically opened. The air was clean and at a comfortable temperature despite the station being abandoned for so long.

Ronon stepped out of the Jumper first and drew his blaster. Rodney was staring at his small hand scanner and said, "No life signs other than us, although some sections may be shielded."

John walked out of the Jumper last and saw that there were two doors leading out of the bay. Rodney indicated the left one and said, "The control room's that way."

John nodded, "Okay, Teyla, Ronon, go right. McKay, you're with me."

Teyla and Ronon looked relieved that John had decided to endure a whole load of nervous and excited astrophysicist rather than them this time. Rodney had his back turned and was walking over to the door so he did not see the exchanged glances.

"Meet back here in an hour and we'll see what we've got. Call us on the radio if you need anything."

Rodney turned around and said angrily, "An hour! This could be the greatest find we've ever made! If we can figure out how this place works we could harness the energy ourselves instead of having it burn a hole in the planet below."

John took point and went in front of Rodney through the door. He drawled patronisingly, "We're a recon team, McKay. That means we check it out, judge if it's good, bad, useful or just plain ugly, and go home. _Then_ we can send out the teams to figure out how things work."

Rodney grumbled and muttered behind him, but John ignored the complaining and swept his eyes across the wide corridor to make sure nothing leapt out at them. There were two large vertical panels on either side of the corridor, but otherwise it was eerily featureless and burnished the same dirty gold colour as most of the corridors back on Atlantis.

The lights were bright, almost to the point of being blinding, and the walls seemed to glow under the harsh glare.

Rodney squinted at his scanner and pointed to a door on their right. "The control room."

John raised his eyebrows, "That was quick!"

Rodney shrugged, "I told you this place is tiny compared to the rest of the station. It's only about the size of Atlantis' control room and Jumper bay put together."

"What about maintenance and research and all the other Ancienty things they used to get up to."

"It's automated, Sheppard," Rodney ground out. "Or did you wonder why the place was still online after ten thousand years without anyone here. It must be malfunctioning to be firing at the planet like it is."

"But you can fix it, right?"

Rodney frowned in annoyance, "I don't even know what it is yet!"

The door opened when Sheppard waved his hand over the sensor and they entered a cramped room with consoles and panels with many coloured flashing lights lining the edges of the rectangular room. Many of the lights were red. Rodney ignored them and went straight over to the main console, pulled the tablet from the back of his tac vest and plugged it in.

John let him work and tapped his radio, "Sheppard to Teyla and Ronon. Report."

Teyla replied, _"We have found several living quarters and what may have been a mess hall."_

Ronon grunted, _"Nothing."_

John smiled, "Alright. Keep looking. McKay's messing around with the systems in the control room to find out about this place."

Rodney stopped typing where he was bent over at the waist and straightened up. He folded his arms over his chest and said, "I am not 'messing around!' This is delicate and complex work I'm doing, trying to decipher thousands of years worth of data."

John shrugged and gestured at the tablet with his hand, "So what have you found."

Rodney opened his mouth to retaliate again, but he just sighed heavily and shook his head as he leant over the console again.

After a few minutes he said, "Hmm, that's strange. The database has sensor readings of a planet similar to Earth in ecosystem. Oceans and grass… mountains. Deserts… but certainly nothing on the scale of how the planet is now."

"So this station destroyed it?"

Rodney stopped typing briefly and said, "Possibly. It's an orbital weapon platform and according to these readings, it's only at one percent output at the moment. There's evidence of a large ruin buried beneath the sand in the southern hemisphere."

More red lights suddenly appeared to the accompaniment of blaring sirens.

John walked over to him and shouted, "What did you do?!"

Rodney's eyes went wide in panic, "Nothing! I just wanted more information."

"McKay!"

He waved his hands about, "Alright, alright, I might have hacked through a few lockouts," Sheppard grabbed his arm tightly and Rodney winced, "B-B-But I do it all the time and nothing's ever reacted like this before."

John's hold tightened and then relaxed. Rodney rubbed his arm absently and then frantically typed on the computer.

Sheppard drawled, "I suppose it didn't like you playing around with it this time."

Rodney kept his eyes firmly glued on the screen and then suddenly stammered, "No no no no no no! We need to get out of here now!"

There was a dull clang from outside in the corridor, followed by another and then another. The sirens still rang out and John tapped his radio, "Teyla. Ronon. Head back to the Jumper. We're leaving."

There was no reply.

"Teyla? Ronon?" He stepped right up to Rodney, "McKay!?"

Rodney straightened up and looked at him in shock, "The self-destruct is armed. We've only got a few minutes."

John raised his eyebrows, "Well then disarm it!"

"I I I can't! There isn't enough time."

"I'm not liking what I'm hearing, McKay."

"That's not all," Rodney said miserably. "The automated defences have been activated. The panels we passed led to vacuum containers, but they're open now. Whatever was inside would have been perfectly preserved over the millennia."

John grabbed Rodney's upper arms and shook him, "What was in those walls?"

Rodney mumbled, "I'm sorry, _so_ sorry," and stared at the ground with his eyebrows furrowed.

John's face softened and he let go, "Alright. Let's leave."

Rodney stowed the tablet in his vest and ran out of the room behind John. He skidded to an immediate halt and nearly barged right into Sheppard who was standing still in the corridor where two large robots were blocking their path back to the Jumper. The golden metal creatures were larger than men and had pincers for hands. They did not move away from the alcoves where they had just been released.

John spoke quietly from the corner of his mouth, Rodney had to strain to hear his words above the wail of the sirens. "Can you shut them down, McKay?"

Rodney pulled out his scanner again and dashed to a panel on the wall. There was a loud clang behind him and a dull thud.

Suddenly the sound of P90 fire filled the corridor and even drowned out the sirens for a moment. Rodney screwed his face up in discomfort at the deafening racket as he pulled wires from the wall and plugged in his equipment. He had trouble accessing the robot control mainframe as all the systems were now heavily encrypted and locked. He stole a quick glance behind him.

He had a fleeting view of John being picked up and thrown across the corridor and he stopped firing. The other robot suddenly clanged over to Rodney and hit out at him with one of its clawed hands. The movement was so fast it took Rodney by surprise and the claw punched through his tac vest. He was forced back into the wall and pinned.

He dropped the hand scanner and it swung back into the wall and dangled on the wires. Rodney gripped the robot's pincer and tried to pull it out of himself. He could feel it jabbing into his abdomen and his shirt was soon sopping with blood. He struggled and whimpered in pain, but the robot seemed to think its job was now done as it made no other movements.

Rodney closed his eyes and his fingers fumbled against the metal robot desperately. His roaming hand found a lead in the robot's arm. He knew he was about to die anyway so did not even think about electrocution as he curled his hand around the lead and yanked it with all his strength.

The robot abruptly shut down and fell over backwards. Rodney was pulled with it a short way, until the pincer was ripped from him. It tore his tac vest and took some of his skin and blood started to freely flow from the wound it had inflicted.

Rodney grimaced and pressed a hand on the injury to keep his insides where they should be. He staggered along the corridor and knew that time was still ticking down before they would all be vaporised.

The other robot was standing over John and it turned and saw Rodney approaching. McKay tried to double back and get to the panel in order to try and shut it down, but he was not fast enough.

The robot hastily clomped over to him and he drew his sidearm and emptied the entire clip into the metal. The bullets ricocheted around the corridor and he could not even see any dents from their impact. He dropped the gun and raised the arm not clamped over his bleeding midsection in a futile gesture to ward it off.

The robot reached forwards and opened its pincer. Rodney tried to dodge, but it grabbed his right forearm and crunched down on the scientist's arm until there was a snap and a loud cry from McKay.

It kept hold of his arm and Rodney sagged down to the floor with his face tightly screwed up. He struggled again and the robot sensed he was still a threat to the station. It forced him to the floor and opened its other pincer. It placed it over Rodney's chest and pressed down.

McKay was only able to draw in one shaky breath before all the air was crushed out of him. He would have heard a thoroughly unpleasant popping sound as the metal pincer slowly broke several of his ribs, but all that he could hear was the sound of blood rushing past his ears in fear and adrenaline. However, he did feel the pain as the bones inside his chest were fractured and would have screamed if he had had any air to do so.

His eyes started to darken and he glanced up at the robot blearily. He knew he was either going to die from his injuries or that the self destruct of the station was about to take him away.

He was grateful for that knowledge, because he knew that at least the agony was not going to be too prolonged, but in the pain every moment stretched out forever and a second was an eternity of misery for Rodney.

He stretched up with his shining red free hand and trembled as he moved it around behind what seemed to be the robot's head. He felt another wire and pulled. His arm fell back down and he closed his eyes and hoped he was either going to pass out or die soon.

The grip around his fractured arm and on his chest lessened and the robot fell backwards off him.

Rodney was able to breathe, but it felt like knives were rubbing against his insides and he grimaced as tears leaked from his eyes.

"Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon!" He whispered and rolled over. Thick red liquid dripped from him onto the ground as he crawled on his undamaged arm and legs.

He found Sheppard and ignoring his own hurts, he curled his hand in John's tac vest and dragged him along the corridor. He whimpered and gritted his teeth, but the station was going to explode soon and he was not going to leave his friend behind, even if it killed him.

John had a nasty gash on his head, but seemed otherwise unharmed.

Rodney held his broken arm against his shattered chest, but did not stop torturing himself as he sucked in rapid, shallow breaths through his teeth.

He was just about to collapse when Teyla and Ronon came through the Jumper bay door and ran towards him.

Teyla's eyes widened in fear when she saw the robots and the state Rodney was in. She said, "We could not reach you on the radio, but we thought that there may be a problem."

Rodney let go of the handle and collapsed to his knees. The jarring passed up his legs and into his pelvis, which swiftly went through his abdomen and set his chest alight with renewed vigour.

Ronon picked up John and ran back to the Jumper with him. Teyla grasped Rodney's good arm and quickly pulled him upright. They staggered back to the Jumper together and she deposited him in the pilot's seat.

Rodney pressed his hand on his middle and cried out weakly as fiery tendrils of agony threatened to consume him.

He whispered harshly to himself, "We need to leave or we'll get caught in the explosion."

Teyla came back a moment later and lifted his hand away so that she could place a bandage over the gaping hole in him. Rodney returned his hand and held it over the dressing as he gathered his thoughts and powered on the Jumper.

Teyla left him again and he felt cold and shivery and his breathing suddenly became very difficult. He wheezed noisily and the Jumper's engines shut down when he closed his eyes.

Teyla called out to him, "You must hurry. John has a serious head injury."

Rodney opened his eyes and grumbled, "Hey, I'm seriously injured here too. The only part they didn't get seems to be my head."

Ronon said, "Then use it to fly the ship, McKay."

"Did I mention that I'm bleeding a little bit and I think something quite important's broken inside me?"

Rodney looked down at his throbbing arm and immediately wished he had not when horror and nausea threatened to make him lose his last meal. He also knew he should have worn a long sleeved jacket so that his eyes would not have seen it. His forearm was swollen and purple and there was an unnatural bow in the limb where it had been crushed.

He turned back to the console and frowned in concentration. The engines activated again and he was able to fly the Jumper up into the air. The autopilot grabbed it and guided it through the airlock and then pushed it out into space where it was quickly untethered to go on its way.

Rodney turned it towards the stargate far below on the bright yellow world filling the windscreen. He willed himself not to pass out and was grateful when Teyla came back with another bandage and a gentle touch. She pressed down on the bleeding wound and Rodney tried not to cry out, but did not quite succeed. He shuddered violently and Teyla put her hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"You are doing very well, Rodney. We will be home soon."

McKay looked at her in disbelief. He gasped, "It hurts! I think I'm going to pass out and if that happens we're all dead!"

Teyla furrowed her brow and her hand moved around until it held his and squeezed gently, "I believe you will be able to find it in yourself to get us back to the gate safely."

"What little there is left in me that hasn't leaked out, you mean?" Rodney muttered quietly.

A sudden flare in the back of his mind from the neural interface made him bring up the HUD. He watched with Teyla as the space station behind them was obliterated in a massive flash of energy and the beam angled towards the planet vanished.

Rodney sighed sadly and flinched as a loose rib turned in his chest and cut into his lung. Blood flowed up his throat and he choked it out onto the console in front.

They were in the lower atmosphere now and Rodney used the last of his reserves to wobble the Jumper on an unsteady course over to the gate. The small black circle was a harsh contrast against the yellow sand. Fortunately Teyla hit the address into the DHD, but her grip on Rodney's hand had to be released to do so. He felt himself floating down into darkness without any touch left to guide him.

Teyla grabbed hold of him as soon as she was able, but Rodney had his eyes closed and could no longer feel it as the Jumper flew through the gate and was snagged by the Atlantis autopilot.

* * *

"You should've shut down the robots instead of coming to get me, Rodney." John said quietly to the sleeping scientist.

He frowned at the lack of response from his friend and continued, "Ronon and Teyla were coming too. I reckon Ronon's blaster would probably have stopped those things in their tracks."

Rodney stubbornly ignored him as the ventilator inflated his lungs and then released so that he could exhale.

John had a concussion, but had already been released. Now all that he could do was wait with Rodney and hope that he did not die from his injuries.

Ronon and Teyla had headed back to the Jumper when Rodney and John had lost contact. They said they retraced the path John and Rodney had taken when they found that both men were missing, but did not think for a moment that they would both be so very badly injured, Rodney even more so than John.

Sheppard felt the usual guilt he experienced when Rodney was hurt on his watch. His frown deepened at the white sheet pulled down to Rodney's waist so that the infirmary staff could see the bandages wrapped around him and make sure he did not start bleeding again. His fractured arm was in a plaster cast and resting on the bed next to him.

John admired Rodney's strength of character to have kept going despite the pain of the blood loss and wounds he had received from the guardian robots. It did not make him feel any better though.

"I should be the one in the bed with enough needlework in my skin to make me seem like a patchwork quilt. Not you, Rodney. Never you."

The breathing alarm suddenly sounded on Rodney's monitor and Carson rushed over and shoved John away.

Sheppard watched as Carson pulled the tube from Rodney's mouth and waited. The room was tense for a few seconds while everyone kept their eyes on Rodney's chest.

Suddenly his chest rose jerkily and then gradually evened out into a steadier rhythm as he breathed on his own. Carson sighed in relief and patted Rodney's shoulder before smiling at John and moving away.

Sheppard pulled up the chair again and started to feel a little bit better all of a sudden. Rodney was on the mend and he hoped it would not be too much longer before he would be conscious again.

* * *

"How is Rodney doing, Dr Beckett?" Teyla asked a few days later as she sat with McKay. John and Ronon were also there for the team visit where Carson had allowed them just a few minutes together.

Carson stood nearby as he checked Rodney's monitors and fussed over the lines in and bandages wrapped around the scientist. He stopped for a moment and turned to the apprehensive faces looking at him, "Aye, much better. He should be waking up soon, but he's going to be very sore for a while."

"Got that right," a quiet whisper came from the man lying completely still on the bed.

Teyla smiled and looked down at him, "Welcome back."

"I haven't been anywhere, have I?" Rodney croaked. Carson gave him some water and he tried to move to get more comfortable. He quickly stopped with a grimace and a fine tremor ran though his body. He let out a small defeated sigh and closed his eyes again.

Carson topped up his painkillers and rested a hand on Rodney's shoulder as he smiled down at him, "Call me over if the pain gets too much for you, Rodney." McKay nodded slowly and Carson walked away.

Rodney blearily opened his eyes again and glanced around at his team, "We made it back then."

"Thanks to you, McKay," Ronon said and patted Rodney's leg.

John sat up and said, "Your tablet was completely smashed on your back, but Zelenka got some data from it about the station, which was thoroughly obliterated by the self destruct by the way."

Rodney winced and furrowed his brow, "That's a shame. It had so much potential."

"He said it was definitely a weapon, but it's the reason why the planet we visited was completely dead and turned to desert."

Rodney frowned, "Oh."

Teyla said, "It had been firing like that at the surface for at least ten thousand years. The oceans evaporated long ago and any plant and animal life would have been burnt."

Rodney's eyebrows rose, "But it wasn't firing that powerfully."

John said, "Ten thousand years is a long time, McKay."

Rodney relaxed into the bed and nodded. "I wonder what destroyed the outpost on the planet and why the Ancients abandoned it."

Ronon grumbled, "We'll never know now."

Rodney sighed sadly and no longer had the strength to stay awake as his injuries caught up with him.

* * *

_A/N – I found this request the other day. It was posted on the McKay Whumping! thread on the GateWorld forum last September: Whumped Rodney saves whumped John. Preferably with Rodney being more seriously injured and involving lots of blood and broken bones. It has to be gritty physical saving too. Ouch!_


	55. Into the Sun

**_Into the Sun_**

"Why are we out in this backwater of a solar system anyway?" Sheppard asked the only other occupant in the Puddle Jumper with him.

McKay sighed and said in a patronisingly slow way, "Because we're testing the new shield upgrades and the only way to do that…"

"Is out here in space?"

"Hmm."

John squinted out of the window at the bright sun nearby filling the whole screen. He need not have narrowed his eyes as a special layer over the glass prevented any harmful light from reaching him. It was more of an innate reflex from staring into the face of a star.

"Why didn't we just do it in the Lantean system?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and stabbed more savagely onto his tablet. "Because the sun is hours away by Jumper and this one is just a quick hop through the gate and then half an hour."

John waved his hand at the HUD he had just brought up. "There aren't even any power readings or inhabited planets."

"That's not the point of the mission, Colonel," Rodney replied in irritation.

John shrugged and went back to gazing into the sun. He soon turned back to Rodney and asked, "So why did the Ancients put a gate in this system if there's nothing here?"

Rodney stopped typing and glared back at him as he said indignantly, "I don't know! Maybe they were going to build a sunbathing platform or something."

"Sounds like fun."

Rodney huffed angrily and prodded the screen of his computer. He said, "Okay, we're in range. Bringing the multiphasic shielding online. It should block the heat and radiation more effectively than the standard shield."

A blue wave rippled over the windscreen briefly and the glow of the sun dimmed even more.

After a few minutes, John asked, "Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?"

Rodney's face was already sweaty as he typed on his laptop. "There's a glitch in a forward emitter. I'm compensating. Hold position for now until I can straighten it out."

The hull creaked ominously and a drop of water rolled down Rodney's face and dripped off his nose. He absently wiped it away from the tablet screen where it had landed and frowned.

Sheppard asked slowly, "McKay?"

"I'm on it!" he snapped back.

The metal around them made a strained banging sound and an alarm started going off. "McKay! Should I move us away?"

Rodney gritted his teeth, "Standby. I've nearly got it."

"The hull's buckling in the heat from the sun."

"I know! What do you think I'm doing?"

John smiled grimly, "Having a picnic in the park?"

Rodney sighed heavily and rubbed his face to clear the sweat away from his eyes so that he could focus on the data. John kept watch out of the window. The heat did not bother him after spending time in Afghanistan. He was not so sure about being this close to a sun though, with only a layer of invisible energy between him and being cooked.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as the sun dimmed almost imperceptibly. He brought up the HUD and baulked. "Full burn to reverse engines!" He announced as he saw a solar flare spreading across the surface of the star and flying out into space towards them at an eye watering speed.

Rodney frowned in confusion, "But I just got it. Oh!" He looked up and saw what Sheppard was looking at.

John flipped the Jumper over and pushed the engines to go as fast as possible, but the flare was still catching up with them. He said, "I need more power."

Rodney's eyes were wide as he sat staring at the HUD in a trance. The cockpit was darker now that the sun was behind them.

"McKay!"

"Right. Yes." He shook himself, got out of his seat and went into the rear compartment. He walked strangely as his soaked clothes stuck to him. He grimaced in disgust and mumbled, "I _so_ need a shower…"

John ignored him and put as much power as he could find within his reach into the engines from the mental control. Rodney pulled down the tray and his damp face shone in the bright light now bathing him in the glow from the power crystals.

He examined the tray for a moment and then cried, "There's no more power! It's all going to the shield to hold off the heat and radiation from the sun and the approaching flare."

John weighed up the options, "What about using the heat energy to charge the shields and then we can use the real power for the engines?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Now, why didn't I think of that?"

John glared at the windscreen where Rodney could not see his expression and said, "How about reinforcing the rear emitters? We can ride it out."

Rodney folded his arms over his chest and said, "Surfing?"

"Unless you've got a better idea? Impact in thirty seconds."

Rodney's arms quickly dropped down to his sides and he peered at the crystals intensely in concentration. He face suddenly fell in realisation. He worked quickly, swapping crystals and pulling out and plugging wires into different places. John did not know what he was doing, as when McKay was on a roll, the man's brain worked too quickly for him to announce exactly what he intended.

"Ten seconds."

"What happened to twenty seconds?!" Rodney shouted as he continued to work frantically.

"Brace for impact."

Rodney still had his hands in the crystal tray when the edge of the flare hit them. The inertial dampeners worked for a couple of seconds and then gave up completely. John leant forwards and held onto the console to steady himself so he was relatively safe. Rodney was not so lucky though and was thrown hard against the wall in the rear compartment. He slid down to the floor unconscious and was safer on the deck than he had been standing up.

The Jumper spun out of control until John corrected its course. He saw that the shields had been strengthened at the back of the craft, so he strained to control it and make sure the back of the ship was angled towards the flare. He could see that they were being pushed along at an alarming rate and the remaining power indicator bar was visibly dropping as the shields drained.

No sounds came from Rodney where he lay and this in itself was unsettling. Juddering bangs and groaning came from the metal hull as it warped and stretched in the heat of the assault. The front of the flare was visible in the windscreen as it fanned out in space and overtook the vessel caught in its wave.

There was a weak cough from the rear compartment only just audible above the ripping sound now filling the craft. John called out, "Rodney?"

There was a moan, not caused by the abused metal and Rodney said, "Oh! I thought we'd be out of it by now."

"Well, I'm hoping the wave's about to break or our surfboard's going to get snapped in half fairly soon."

Rodney sighed dejectedly and John turned around in a brief lull in the jostling when the inertial dampeners were able to give them the illusion of being held steady. Rodney was standing up again. There was a cut on his forehead and blood was running out and flowing down his face. It dripped from his chin and he ignored it as he glared at the crystal tray in resignation. He had a hand curled around his side.

"You okay?" John asked as he spun around to carry on his fight for control with the bucking ship.

"Don't be ridiculous! We're about to be turned into a superheated glob of metal when the shields fail in, oh, thirty seconds."

John raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Well do something about it then, McKay. The flare's still too much for us to take unshielded. Even your new shields can't take the heat in the middle of the flare for us to just stop for a moment and let it go through us."

"I know!" Rodney called back. "I've got a plan."

John smiled, _that's McKay_. "Well then do it!"

Rodney sighed quietly, "Alright."

Suddenly the central bulkhead slammed closed and John spun around in his seat with his eyes wide in shock, "McKay!" He watched the HUD in horror as the shield wavered and shrunk to enclose the cockpit only. The power level went back up and John knew now that the Jumper would be irreparably damaged, but he would survive.

He flipped it around so that the smaller shield only covering the cockpit was facing the full force of the flare.

He tapped his radio, "McKay! Rodney? Increase the shield size again and open the bulkhead door, damnit!"

He knew the hull was strong and could withstand extremely high temperatures even without shields for a while, but the moment the metal failed, Rodney would be killed.

He attempted to override the changes Rodney had made, but the stubborn man must have still been at the crystal tray as his attempts were blocked at every turn.

"Rodney, enlarge the shield. That's an order."

"You can't order me…" a rasping voice came back over his radio. "I'm a civilian..."

"That's not the point, McKay. You're on my team and I'm in charge."

There was no reply. John looked at the readout again. Another thirty seconds until they were safe. The engines were separating away from the hull and the windscreen was now filled with orange as the Jumper was completely in the flare. He could also see that the rear compartment was still pressurised, even though the hull was fractured.

John tried to change the emitters again and frowned when he was able to break through the lockouts easily. He extended the shield to envelop the rear compartment once more. Several of the emitters had been melted and fused, but there were enough left to form a wavering, but fairly sturdy protective shell around the whole Jumper.

He waited the final ten seconds in tense silence. The orange in the windscreen got dimmer as it disbursed into space and spread out. He had no idea whether Rodney was alive or dead. If he was by some miracle still alive, he must have been horrendously burnt by the heat. John had set the environmental controls to vent the excess heat, but it was a futile exercise as there was no-where for it to go outside the craft.

The HUD flickered green and John ran a quick scan of the systems. They were a long way from the gate and it did not look like any more flares were incoming. He then focused his attention closer to home. The Jumper was a bit of a limping wreck, but one engine was still clinging onto the side for dear life. The other pod was completely missing where it had been pulled off and vaporised by the solar flare. There were two life signs on the HUD and he sighed in relief.

John set the Jumper on course for the gate and switched back to normal shields so that their air would be held inside if the hull breached. He tried to open the central bulkhead door, but it was too distorted and it creaked as it managed to move about an inch and then stopped.

John tapped his radio again and said, "Talk to me, Rodney."

There was no reply and John set the HUD to alert him of any approaching danger as he pushed himself up from his seat. There was an unpleasant smell coming through the gap in the door. It was a mixture of smoke, melted metal and fried circuits.

He saw that there was an acrid plume coming through the door and he coughed harshly as he went over to it. He called out, "Rodney?"

He covered his mouth briefly and then lowered his hands and pressed them on either side of the doors. He shouted in exertion as he forced them apart enough to wriggle through. All the while he thought, _please don't be dead._

When he made it through, he nearly tripped over the soft yielding object on the floor right at his feet. The smoke was slowly being sucked out of the atmosphere by the environmental systems and the air cleared as he crouched down and surveyed Rodney where he lay on the deck.

At least he had had the self preservation to move as close to the shield as possible, but his breath was wheezing painfully in his chest and his visible skin was blistered red and plasma was oozing from several severe burns to his body.

John was glad that at least he was unconscious as the burns looked painful and he did not want Rodney to have to go through that after almost sacrificing himself to save John.

Sheppard stepped over him and went to retrieve the medical kit, but the heat had breached the hull too badly at the location where it hung in the overhead racks and it was melted. He pulled it down anyway, hissing as he burnt his fingers on the deformed plastic case.

He hauled it over to Rodney and shook McKay's shoulder gently, "Rodney, can you hear me?"

There was no response except a slight hitch in the laboured breathing, which quickly returned to how it had been before. John decided to see if anything could be salvaged from the kit. He tore it open and wrinkled his nose as he released some nasty fumes. He held his breath until they had gone and rummaged through the contents. There were a few blackened bandages and the oxygen tank had been pierced and drained. He found a roll of gauze and only one useable burn bandage.

He eyed Rodney and tried to locate the worst injury. The head wound was still bleeding profusely dark red blood across Rodney's face and dripping down onto the deck. John used the gauze and wrapped it around Rodney's head.

He thought the most severe burn was on Rodney's flank, although there were some quite serious ones on his legs too. All in all, he was in a bad way. John had nothing to secure the small bandage so he pressed it over the wound and kept his hand on it.

He looked up through the partially open door into the cockpit. The HUD was still up and he saw that they were now getting closer to the gate. He would need to leave Rodney soon and dial it.

He suddenly felt a tight grip on his wrist and looked down to find Rodney's hand was curled around his forearm and he was squeezing as hard as he could. His face was lined in pain and he did not open his eyes. His body started trembling and John felt it through the hand he still held against McKay's side.

"Rodney? We're nearly back now."

McKay suddenly stopped shaking and tensed up. He curled a little inwards on himself and gasped. The pressure on John's wrist left and Rodney placed both hands on his chest and inhaled a rattling breath. John heard a nasty catch in his throat and he knew what was coming. He was deeply distressed when a coughing fit engulfed Rodney and blood dribbled from his mouth and splattered on the deck.

He was left unconscious again after the bout and John winced when he saw that the bandage on his head was turning red as blood soaked through it.

John said, "That was incredibly brave, but also one of the stupidest things you've ever done back there, McKay. You should've told me about your plan and then we could've swapped around. I don't mind getting crispy fried in your place, but it shouldn't have been you."

Rodney choked on the blood unconsciously and then the HUD started beeping at John. He knew there was nothing more he could do for Rodney with the limited supplies he had.

He stood up and squeezed through the door and took his seat. It was the proximity to the stargate alarm and he dialled it up and sent through his IDC. He called for a medical team, "Rodney's been hurt. He's got serious burns and he's having trouble breathing."

The engine partially retracted into the hull, but the lack of the other drive pod allowed the craft to fit through the gate safely.

* * *

"You broke a rib which punctured a lung, there are deep soft tissue burns to both of your legs and on your abdomen, a concussion which nearly sent you into next week…" Carson huffed in exasperation down at Rodney as the scientist picked absently at the bandage around his hand to avoid the wrath in the eyes of the Scottish doctor. "What were you doing out there? Flying through volcanoes?"

"Now, _there's_ an idea," John said with a smirk.

Carson glared at him, "Oh, no you don't, laddie. The state you brought Rodney back to us in was quite enough to be getting on with." He turned back to the injured scientist again, "Honestly, Rodney, you take years off my life every time you go through the gate."

McKay furrowed his brow and winced. He was propped up against the pillows and a cannula under his nose was giving him oxygen. There was a row of stitches knitting together a deep cut on his forehead. The sheet covered the bandages wrapped loosely around his burns, but he was still in almost constant pain, despite Carson's best drugs.

Carson frowned at him in sympathy and adjusted one of the bags of fluid attached to him by tube and needle. Rodney's face smoothed out a little, but Carson asked anyway, "Better?"

"Not really. Can't you knock me out or something?"

Carson sighed and nodded his head in worry. "I'll get you something stronger. Hold on." He walked away and John leant in. He also had a bandage around his hand from where he had burnt it on the medical kit helping Rodney.

He said, "We brought back two wrecks from that mission. Weir's up in arms, calling the whole thing a fiasco and a waste of time."

Rodney closed his eyes sadly and turned away. John looked at him sternly, "I know the flare wasn't your fault, but the Jumper will never fly again, you nearly died and the data from the shield test was lost."

Rodney furrowed his brow and started shaking. He screwed up his face, inhaled a sharp breath and a small whimper left him. John's expression quickly changed to one of concern, "Don't think that I'm not grateful for you saving my life. But ending up like this…" He rested a hand on Rodney's upper arm and the scientist flinched and tried to pull away.

He was too weak to break the grip though and sunk down into the bed in defeat with a soft, "Oh," as the pain got the better of him.

"We're just angry because we're worried about you, that's all. What you did was crazy, but we'd both be dead if you hadn't. So…" he shrugged and Rodney looked up at him with watery eyes. "Thanks."

Rodney smiled even though his brow was still furrowed in pain. His voice broke as he said, "The schematic's on my computer anyway. Nothing was lost, except the Jumper."

_And your blood_, John continued Rodney's sentence in his mind. He squeezed Rodney's arm one last time and then let go

Carson then came back and patted Rodney's uninjured hand sympathetically when he saw the man's watering eyes. "This will let you sleep more easily."

He injected something into the IV line and Rodney nodded at him in gratitude and whispered, "Thanks," before he closed his eyes and relaxed into the bed as he fell unconscious again.

Carson patted Rodney's hand again and then left him alone with John.

"_Never_ again, McKay. That's an order." John whispered in Rodney's ear and hoped the man was still semi-conscious enough for the command to reach and register in his mind. He sat back in his chair and waited for the scientist to heal.

* * *

_A/N – Wow! It's been ages since I wrote one of these. As always, thanks for reading and I love to hear what you think :) Next up is_** 'Out of the Blue'**


	56. Out of the Blue

**_Out of the Blue_**

"Hold up!" Rodney lifted up his fist and Teyla rolled her eyes at the military gesture the scientist was imitating.

John turned to him from the pilot's seat and sighed, "What is it?"

Rodney frowned, "Hmm. I'm detecting a very, very faint energy reading from the southern hemisphere. I didn't see it on the first pass."

Ronon asked, "Why not?"

Rodney scowled at him, "I don't know, maybe it's shy?"

Ronon smirked at him and sat back in his seat. He looked uncomfortable to be so still, like he wanted to get up and start knocking some heads together. Rodney quickly turned back to his computer with a small frightened squeak.

John did not seem to notice the tension and brought up the HUD, "Maybe it's that storm system blocking the reading?"

Rodney glanced up at the image and waved his hand around as he spoke and fidgeted, "No. Firstly, that's not a storm. It's a rain cloud. Secondly, the reading's gone again, but I've loaded the co-ordinates into the navigation system."

"Big rain cloud," Ronon remarked.

Teyla asked, "Do you know what is down on the planet, Dr McKay?"

He shook his head in exasperation, "Could be anything."

"Guess we'll be doing a fly by then?" John smiled and tilted the nose of the Jumper towards the blip now marked on the HUD.

Rodney sighed and tapped on his computer screen as they descended through the atmosphere.

Teyla watched as the black void painted with lights slowly changed until the sky above was an almost impossibly deep blue. It was darker than the rolling oceans and she was entranced gazing at it.

She was abruptly torn out of her reverie as she peered over Rodney's shoulder out of the window when they hit the continent-sized cloud they had seen from orbit. Water splattered against the glass and made it difficult to see anything. Rain washed over the window and was rapidly blasted away by the wind from the speed they were cutting through the driving torrents of falling water. All that was visible had been the white cloud anyway, so Teyla sat back in her seat and gazed around at the occupants of the Jumper instead.

Ronon was lolling in his seat and swinging the rotating base from side to side impatiently. He caught Teyla looking at him and she returned a small smile. Rodney was still typing something incomprehensible on his computer and he snapped, "I can work better without people breathing down my neck!"

Teyla shook her head and sat back. Sheppard was calmly gazing out of the windscreen like he did not have any qualms about not being able to see where they were going. Teyla's attention was drawn back to the view out of the window again. The rain smacked against the glass at sublight speeds and threatened to punch through it in its ferocity.

Teyla asked, "Are the shields raised?"

John answered without turning, "No. It's only water."

Ronon grumbled, "Looks quite rough out there."

Rodney muttered, "Let's just fly past this thing and then get out of here. I have no intention of leaving my seat today, especially not out in that, thanks."

John grinned over at him and Teyla had a feeling that they would land despite the scientist's protesting and then proceed to explore the surface on foot as soon as Sheppard was able to find the energy reading Rodney had detected.

Rodney continued, oblivious to the John's amused expression, "There's an unusual compound in the atmosphere blocking a lot of the readings from the surface. We're approaching the target." He narrowed his eyes at the computer screen, "That's odd."

"Good or bad kind of odd," Ronon asked.

"Hmm." Rodney tapped a few more keys and the rain still pounded against the screen relentlessly. He suddenly straightened up and cried, "Bad! Definitely bad! Quickly, raise the shields! It's…"

Teyla grabbed the side of her seat in reflex as something struck the side of the craft and the inertial dampeners wavered for a moment.

John shouted, "What the hell was that?"

Rodney shook his head, "I don't know! The sensors aren't picking anything up."

"Evasive manoeuvres. I'm taking us back up into orbit where it was safe," John announced for the recorded log. "The shield emitter was damaged when it hit us." He turned to Rodney, "Can you fix it? I don't want to risk seeing if we can survive another hit like that."

"I'm already working on it, Colonel," he snapped.

Teyla kept silent. She did not understand exactly what was happening and did not have anything to say which could help her team mates. She knew anything she said would just become a distraction to John and an irritation to Rodney. Ronon was still sitting in his seat and appeared to be completely at ease despite the situation.

As Teyla watched him, she felt the same sense of calm working its way through her system. She trusted both John and Rodney implicitly when it came to being in the Puddle Jumpers. She placed her life into their hands and pushed her worries about the chances of their survival to the back of her mind in the confidence she had in their abilities.

They breached the top of the clouds and the windscreen instantly dried out and Teyla could see ahead of the ship once more. She had a fleeting glimpse of the dark blue sky again before she saw a large white object in the centre of the window. She narrowed her eyes, as she knew that they did not yet have sufficient altitude for it to be a star and the planet had no moons. It was also growing in size.

John spun the Jumper away from the object and said, "Unknown missile incoming. It's following us. Shields, McKay?"

"There isn't enough time," he cried.

Teyla gripped her seat more tightly and saw Ronon shifting to do the same from the corner of her eye. They shared a glance and then John shouted, "Brace for impact!"

Teyla leant forwards but it did not stop her from being thrown from her seat. She heard John calling out, "We're going down!"

The Jumper rolled over and turned as it fell from the sky towards the invisible surface far below. Teyla shifted along the floor, despite her best efforts not to move. She flew into something that cushioned her impact on the bulkhead and the object made a quiet, 'Oomph' sound.

The were a few tense seconds and then a loud bang and a massive jolt, far larger than those caused by the missile impacts, threw everyone up and then down. Teyla hit her head on something and then there was darkness.

* * *

There was a juddering bang and a loud scraping sound in Teyla's mind. She soon realised that it was coming from outside her unconscious imaginings and opened her eyes. She had a headache and the first thing she saw was a blurry sight of the floor of the Jumper above her, complete with suspended seats attached to the deck. She frowned and closed her eyes as it pulled her brow.

A gruff voice asked, "Teyla?"

"I am unharmed," she said automatically. A large, but gentle hand rolled a bandage around her head and handed her some painkillers and water.

"John and Rodney?" She asked as her eyes adjusted to the gloom in the aftermath and trauma of the crash.

"Sheppard's fine. He's trying to wake McKay up to fix the ship."

Teyla pushed herself off the deck and swayed. There was another violent jolt and she held her head briefly as it pained her. "What is happening?"

Ronon shrugged, "That's what I'd like to know. Come on."

Ronon helped her into the rear compartment. It was disorientating to be walking on the ceiling and Ronon guided her so that she did not hit her head again.

John was kneeling next to Rodney. McKay's lower leg was splinted and bandaged and the white material, along with his clothes all around the injury, was darkened and shiny with blood.

Teyla furrowed her brow and winced again. She gestured down and asked, "How badly is Rodney injured?"

John pursed his lips and looked up at her, "His leg's broken and it's pushed the bone through the skin. Nothing else is immediately obvious, but he could have internal injuries we're not able to see and do anything about."

There was another bang and John held onto Rodney's shoulder to prevent him from being jarred too much by the movement. He pulled a scanner out of his tac vest and held it in front of his face.

"Ronon, Teyla. There are lots of life signs converging on our position. Stand ready."

Teyla gripped her P90 tightly and angled it towards the upside down rear hatch.

Suddenly there was a human groan from just behind her and she turned to see that Rodney had awoken, but he was in considerable distress and John was trying to calm him down.

"I've got you, Rodney."

"My leg…" he gasped.

Teyla concentrated on the hatch again and listened intently to the quiet words her friend was only just capable of producing.

"Sorry, Rodney. It's broken."

"My back hurts a lot too."

Before he could say any more, the rear hatch suddenly jolted and a bright orange light too dazzling for Teyla to look at spread out across it and the hatch was melted away.

"By orders of the High-Con of the Paraan I am confiscating your vessel and all associated articles, including any aliens on board, for further study. Drop your weapons and relinquish your space craft!" A commanding voice shouted into the Jumper.

There was no-one standing in their line of sight and Teyla saw that the ground was rocky and it was still raining. The water was coming down so heavily that she could not discern anything beyond a few metres from the edge of the Jumper. The entire scene was brilliantly white and grey and she blinked the brightness from her eyes as they adjusted after the gloom of the downed Jumper.

Sheppard patted Rodney, who was quietly whimpering, and stood up, "I'm Colonel John Sheppard. We're on a peaceful mission of exploration."

Silence.

John continued, "Was it you who shot us down?"

"We did."

"Nice shooting, but not that friendly on a first date. We haven't even been properly introduced."

Five men clad in black appeared. They were aiming small guns inside the Jumper and Teyla waited tensely for the order to open fire. The men were wearing helmets and appeared to be unfazed by the rain rolling off them. The suits were shiny and Teyla reasoned that they must have been waterproof. Each person had a small pack on their back which connected tubing to the lower half of their helmets, like they were wearing oxygen masks.

A sixth man stepped into their line of sight. He was also wearing the same outfit, but was distinguished from the others, by a line of white running over his chest and ending in an intricate design which looked like a six winged bird in flight with its wings unfurled and pointing upwards to the sky.

The man said, "I am Sub-Con Kluth. The Slingshot failed to capture your vessel. Why is that and why are you here? Do you wish to steal our technology? No-one has detected us for thousands of years since we arrived here."

There was an involuntary moan behind Teyla and a weak voice asked, "Slingshot?"

Kluth glanced down at Rodney where he lay on the ground and turned to his guards. He indicated the injured scientist and then pointed at Teyla, "Take them to The City for repairs and questioning. Leave the others. Correct the orientation of this vessel and take it to depot sixteen for processing."

Ronon roared and without John even giving the order he fired at the guards. His blaster shots washed over their suits and had no effect.

"Ronon, stop!" John shouted.

Teyla steadily increased the pressure of her finger on the trigger of the P90, but John rested a hand on her arm. He whispered, "There are over a hundred life signs in the vicinity. It's not worth it."

The Satedan growled, but did as Sheppard asked. The guards had not moved from their place or fired back.

John indicated Rodney and called out to Kluth, "He's badly injured. Take me instead."

Kluth turned back to look at him. Teyla found it unsettling peering into a faceless mask and not knowing what was passing over the face underneath. That was if this creature even had a face.

At length he spoke, "That is why we chose him along with the woman. Our facilities will help to fix them and then we will ask our questions."

John said, "We go together. You either take all of us, or none of us."

"As you wish," Kluth said with a nod at the other guards.

They immediately swarmed into the vessel and many more now appeared in the hatchway.

Teyla watched a guard in a white coloured outfit enter the rear compartment and proceeded to crouch down next to Rodney as he peered up uneasily. Sweat beaded his forehead and his lips were trembling in the pain.

The guard rested his hand on Rodney's chest and ordered, "Keep still."

Teyla saw a panel on the guard's forearm come to life. Rodney blinked up at him and winced. He asked shakily, "What are you doing?"

"Assessing the extent that your body is damaged."

Teyla frowned and the guards allowed John, Ronon and herself to wait as they were not going to pose a threat while they were so outnumbered.

Rodney narrowed his eyes and sucked in a breath through his teeth. The guard announced, "Open fracture. Left tibia."

"I could've told you that," Rodney hissed.

"High volume blood loss is causing a cardio-vascular anomaly. Minor bruising, right kidney."

"Doesn't feel that minor," Rodney grumbled.

Kluth came over to them and the guard lifted his hand away and went to Teyla. She stood still as she was subjected to the same treatment, "Minor concussion. Treatment unnecessary."

Kluth placed his fist next to Rodney's neck and the scientist flinched away and screwed up his face as the movement jarred his broken limb. Kluth injected him with something and his face smoothed out, but he remained conscious.

John asked hotly, "What did you just do?"

"Painkiller," Kluth admitted. "I am not without some compassion, despite what I may appear."

Teyla was getting more and more unsettled by the way the men did not remove their masks and how they spoke in clipped, short sentences."

Two more guards came in with a board and gently laid Rodney on it. They placed some kind of covering over the stretcher and it rose up to form a protective bubble around him from the rain. A guard offered the same treatment to Teyla, John and Ronon, but they all shook their heads. She preferred to have her freedom of movement in case things got out of hand.

She was instantly soaked the moment she left the Jumper to walk with them across the barren landscape. She did not see any trees or even any grass. There were no animals or birds singing and only the sound of the rain hitting the rock came to her ears. Even the black clothed guards around her made no sounds. They did not talk to each other and Teyla found it strange after being around the marines from Earth. They all spoke to one another, even while on missions.

John was talking quietly to Ronon and the sound of the rain prevented her from being able to hear the words. She noted that the guards had not even taken their weapons. She held a growing suspicion that the men were in fact part of a race either not as hostile as they pretended, or one which had not had a lot of contact with the outside world for such a long time that they had become complacent to the point of naivety.

She kept close to Rodney and saw that he seemed to be sleeping peacefully through the clear dome shielding him from the rain.

John came over to Teyla after he had finished talking with Ronon. He glanced around and lowered his voice as he spoke into Teyla's ear, "I'm going to let them medically help Rodney or he could bleed to death. After they're done we'll make nice and get the hell out of here."

Teyla nodded to indicate that she had heard and then whispered back, "How are we going to get the Puddle Jumper back?"

John frowned as he thought, "I don't know yet, but we'll figure something out."

Teyla sincerely hoped so for Rodney's sake.

* * *

The Lantean recon team soon came to a small mound of stones piled up above Teyla's head and Kluth went ahead of the large group and pressed a button on his arm. Some of the stones shimmered out of existence and he went inside. Teyla felt a light push on her back and took it as a cue to follow.

She stepped inside an unremarkable room with the rest of her team, which had been hidden by the rocks and several soldiers swarmed in. Kluth pressed a panel on the wall and the next thing Teyla knew, she was standing in a massive hall. She took a moment to look upwards and around the incredible structure. It was like viewing the open side of a building many storeys higher than anything she had ever imagined, except there was no sky. The entire facility was bathed in white and many masked men clothed in a similar way to Kluth and his companions were walking around.

They too had masks on and a suspicion grew and blossomed in Teyla's mind as she watched them. Most were in black, but some wore white, red or blue instead. It was eerily quiet as no words came from the inhabitants of the underground city. Teyla thought they looked like the large swarming ants of Athos as they walked along in straight, purposeful lines to unknown destinations. They appeared busy and moved quickly and efficiently without knocking into each other or getting in the way.

Kluth said, "Follow us."

She obeyed and John and Ronon also followed silently as they carried Rodney away into a room in the wall nearest to them. She watched as some of the men wearing white uniforms came over automatically and crowded around Rodney. He was awake again and looked scared as they stared down at him coldly through their masks like they were studying a lab experiment.

Teyla went over to him as the dome faded away to nothing. She asked Kluth, "What is going on?"

"They will repair him."

Rodney furrowed his brow in fear as they began removing the splint methodically. He squirmed to get away from them and Teyla went over to the man who was already sticking needles into Rodney's blood soaked leg just below his knee.

She saw John's eyes widen at Rodney's treatment and he grabbed Kluth's arm and said forcefully, "What's going on?"

Kluth took Sheppard's upper arms and held him in an impossibly strong grip. He aimed a reverse kick at him and it connected with his shin. He did not flinch and he did not have sufficient strength to break away.

"This will only take a minute."

Rodney was being held down by men in white where they pinned him by the shoulders. His eyes were wide in fright, but he did not seem to be in any pain. The white men gained access to his broken leg and Teyla grimaced at all the blood pouring from the wound just after she saw a flash of white protruding from the injury. The men in white were unfazed by the gory sight and three of them surrounded his leg while they worked and Teyla could no longer see what they were doing.

She did not have any time to protest as they soon backed away and she saw that Rodney's leg was now straight and the wound had already been sewn up and the blood cleaned away. One of them grabbed his foot and raised it up while another ran his hand over the leg and a sturdy white cast appeared wherever his hand went to enclose the limb.

Rodney was frowning in confusion and asked, "Hey, what are you doing to me?"

The white clad men helped him upright and one held out his hand and a pair of crutches appeared. He handed them to Rodney as he placed his working foot on the ground and it took his weight. Rodney grabbed the sticks and when the men were sure he was stable, they let him go.

One turned to Kluth and announced, "Subject repaired."

Kluth nodded and the white clad men grabbed the stretcher and carried it away. The others disbursed into the crowd and Teyla lost track of them among all the similarly dressed people.

John and Ronon were eyeing the men surrounding them warily and let Teyla go over to Rodney to help him. She grabbed his upper arm and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Strangely alright." He turned to Kluth and looked angry as he said hotly, "What the hell's going on around here? And what kind of painkiller this strong doesn't knock people out?"

Kluth held out his hand and said, "Follow me and the High-Con will explain all."

"He'd better," Ronon grunted as he stared at Kluth with thoughts of violence flashing across his face for all to see.

Kluth led the way with John, and Rodney hopped behind him on the crutches. Teyla walked next to Rodney catch him if he fell, but he seemed quite stable. Ronon went behind them all and Teyla could sense his overly aware glances around at the sinister men surrounding them engrossed in their routines.

Rodney glanced around at the inhabitants and asked, "What's up with all the identikit warriors? Why are you dressed in different colours?"

Kluth said again, "The High-Con will explain all."

John said, "The white ones look like Storm Troopers."

Rodney's crutches clacked on the floor and he frowned as he paused for a moment and peered around, "Do they all look the same height and build to you?"

Teyla followed his gaze and did her own assessment. "Yes."

Rodney harrumphed and winced as he started hopping again.

They soon reached another, smaller recess in the wall inside the underground hall and Kluth ushered them inside. He was the only one to follow and the other guards went into the crowd and were soon lost in the others looking just like them.

Kluth activated a panel and they were transported to another location. At first sight it appeared that the place was outside as blue skies were visible in windows with puffy white clouds rolling through them. There were trees and swaying grass and the soft sounds of birdsong came to Teyla as she took in the view. Something felt wrong though and she was not the only one who noticed.

Rodney said, "How did you do that?"

Kluth asked, "What?"

"The walls are all holographic projectors. You must have an incredible power source! What are you…"

John cut him off, "Where is the leader of this planet?"

Rodney scowled and his forehead creased. Teyla went over to him and held his arm steady as she asked, "Are you in pain?"

Rodney took a few deep breaths and said, "Let's just get this over with."

Kluth nodded and they walked through the unnerving fake display of the outside world. Teyla could understand wanting to see skies and plants after spending all life in the underground city, but the planet above was cloudy and dull and she could not see the appeal in the illusion.

They reached the end of the hall, which was smaller than the one they had come from.

There was a single high backed chair in the centre of the room facing away from them as the occupant peered at the image.

Kluth bowed and announced, "High-Con Kluth, I bring the people we retrieved from the atmosphere as requested. Their vessel is already repaired."

"You're all called Kluth?" Rodney asked with his eyebrows raised. Teyla could see the flicker across his face that showed he was thinking deeply about something, but she would wait until he reached his conclusion and chose to enlighten them all.

Kluth bowed again and walked away.

Sheppard stood in front of them and Teyla saw that Rodney was flagging and a sweat had formed on his brow. His face was very pale and he looked like he was going to collapse. She helped him over to one of the walls and with Ronon's help they eased him down to the floor and he stretched out his hastily set and cast broken leg and closed his eyes. Realistic grass swished behind him, but he did not see it.

Sheppard furrowed his brow at Rodney and Teyla walked over to him while Ronon kept hold of Rodney's shoulder to reassure the injured scientist. Teyla lowered her voice, "We need to get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible. Whatever they did for him was not enough."

John nodded and looked at the back of the chair as he spoke, "High-Con? My name's Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," he indicated the others in turn, even though the person in the chair had not seen them yet. "Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex and the man with the gammy leg is Dr Rodney McKay."

Rodney scowled back at him and then turned to the chair, "So, High-Con, how are you able to create and sustain so many clones while hiding yourselves so well."

John raised his eyebrows and Teyla kept her peace. She was surprised at the link McKay had made, but it was fairly clear that the people on the base were very similar in both mannerisms, dress and stature.

The High-Con still had not spoken and John edged closer. Teyla kept with him as they approached and John said, "Answer the question."

Nothing but silence was their answer and Teyla felt unease building in her chest. She shared a wary look with Sheppard and together they quickly went around each side of the chair.

Teyla's mouth opened of its own accord when she saw the figure in the chair. John stepped back in shock, while Teyla moved closer and frowned.

There was a man in the chair, but he had been dead for centuries. He was wearing a gold version of the outfit the other people on the planet wore, but he did not have a helmet and only dusty eye sockets peered back at them.

Rodney cried, "What is it?"

John announced, "I suppose they don't get visitors very often. Odd that they'd leave a corpse up here, pretending to be their leader."

Ronon stood up straight from where he had been crouched next to Rodney, "Can we leave now? McKay's looking peaky."

Rodney grimaced and the bite in his voice got weaker after every word he uttered, "Thank you for that observation, Dr Dex. I think that even half brained lab rats would've been able to make that diagnosis."

Ronon looked down at him and Teyla saw a mixture of emotions pass across the Satedan's face. Rodney's head was hanging down and he was breathing heavily and far too quickly. He sagged even further and Ronon crouched down again and gripped Rodney's upper arm.

John said, "Hey, what's this?"

Teyla turned back to the chair and John was working a small box out of the white finger bones. The skeletal hands crumbled after he had retrieved it and several of them fell to the floor with a hollow clatter.

He secured it in his pocket and went over to Ronon and McKay. "Come on, let's get out of here before the robots or clones or whatever they are realise after all these years that their leader's just a pile of dust."

Teyla took point and heard grunts and shuffles behind her as John and Ronon helped Rodney upright. They handed him the crutches and what little colour there had been in his face drained as he tried to support his own weight. He said, "I think I'm going to fall over."

Teyla turned to him and said, "We will need your help in the lift to direct us to where the Jumper is being held."

John smiled at her, "Sure, then we can get out of here and Carson can repair you properly."

"Very funny. I'm not a robot or a clone though."

Ronon took hold of the useless crutches and handed them to John. Sheppard placed the now useless crutches on the floor while Ronon took nearly all of Rodney's body weight. He supported the scientist and mumbled, "Maybe they thought you were."

They entered the lift and Rodney said in alarm, "What about all the technology? A place like this must have rows and rows of ZedPMs powering it! We can't just leave."

Teyla furrowed her brow sadly at Rodney's face which was unhealthily grey and lined with the pain. She said, "We must take you back to Atlantis first."

Rodney opened his mouth to protest, but John spoke first, "We can come back later and be better prepared now that we know what we're up against."

Teyla frowned as Ronon propped Rodney against the wall next to the control panel. John went over and asked, "Can you rig it to get us to the bay where the Jumper is?"

Rodney screwed up his face and Ronon held onto him so that he did not fall or place any weight on his fractured limb.

Teyla went over to John while Rodney worked. The panel had a small screen as well as the buttons and Rodney's expression was slightly glazed while he peered at the device.

Teyla said under her breath to John, "Do you not think that it will be enough for us to escape with our lives? The inhabitants of this planet have no desire to share their technology with us and they did fire at us and cause us to crash."

John frowned and waved his hand about, "But all this stuff… we could use a lot of it on Atlantis. We wouldn't steal it," he quickly added at Teyla's horrified expression. "It'd just be nice to negotiate without weapons' fire being exchanged. To do that, we'd need to be stealthy."

Teyla lifted her head and narrowed her eyes in disagreement, "I do not believe it is a good idea to push these people into something they would not like."

John sighed, "I know. But we have to try."

Teyla kept her expression dangerous and John looked away. "We can discuss it properly when we get back and I'll raise the proposition to Elizabeth. Let's just concentrate on getting out of here first."

Teyla nodded and softened her expression, "That would be wise."

Rodney muttered under his breath while he worked and pressed a few of the buttons with shaking hands. He said quietly, "Okay, I think I've got it."

"You think?" John drawled.

Rodney snapped, "Well it's either we go with it or we'll just end up in the middle of the Clone Wars' Trooper parade downstairs."

John nodded, "Alright. Do it."

Teyla stood ready to fight and they were once again transported to another location.

* * *

The bay they entered was clear of both guards and any of the other colour uniformed men. Teyla found it strange that they made it back to the Jumper parked in the middle of the bay so easily without anyone trying to stop them.

Ronon and John had their hands full with Rodney as his face got paler and he sagged and became completely pliant in their grip. The rear hatch of the Jumper was open and they laid him down on the floor and John ran into the cockpit.

Teyla knelt down on the opposite side of Rodney to Ronon and took his hand. Rodney's skin was clammy and he shivered. Ronon grabbed the med kit from the overhead rack as John sealed the rear hatch.

He brought up the HUD and several life signs were converging on their location. Teyla saw them through the windscreen. They were clad in blue and were waving their hands at the Jumper as John piloted it off the ground.

"Not today, repair bots," John said evenly. "Although it was kind of you to fix the cloak."

Teyla realised that they had been moving their hands through the air trying to feel for the ship, but it had already lifted up before they got there.

John spun it around and guided it out of the small underground hanger's door. Teyla saw the white clouds through the windscreen. It had stopped raining, but the sky was still veiled.

She helped Ronon get an oxygen mask on Rodney's slack face and held his hand tightly. She turned to John and said, "You must hurry. Dr McKay has fallen unconscious. He is very cold."

John called back to them, "Not much further. I'm burning the engines out for you, McKay, so you'd better appreciate it."

Teyla furrowed her brow at Rodney's unresponsive features and shared a concerned look with Ronon.

She soon noticed that the bright light of atmospheric travel faded out as they entered space and then she heard the sound of the DHD being activated. She focused all of her attention on the man in front of her who lay completely still in silence as he remained wrapped up in painless sleep.

* * *

A few days later in the mess hall, Teyla sat with the rest of her team as they ate lunch. Rodney had his foot up on a nearby chair Ronon had pulled up for him. His lower leg was enclosed in a new cast Dr Beckett had given him after removing the one from the planet. Crutches rested on the floor where he could reach them and he sat slightly sideways as he tapped on a tablet and his food remained forgotten on the table.

Rodney's face was set in a permanent grimace and Teyla asked, "Are you in pain?"

He blinked and looked up at her. He said patronisingly, "I broke my leg, Teyla. It hurts all the time. Even Carson's best witchcraft doesn't seem to be working."

John shook his head and rolled his eyes as Rodney looked down at the tablet again. Ronon was spooning food into his mouth and could not speak as he was eating so quickly.

John indicated the computer and asked, "What've you found that's more interesting than food?"

Rodney sighed and said, "It's the report from the Daedalus and the Puddle Jumper sensor logs from our fateful mission."

"And?" Ronon grunted through a mouthful of mashed potato.

Rodney looked up at them and rubbed his face as he put the computer down on his lap. It threatened to tip onto the floor as it slid across his propped up leg and Teyla caught it and placed it on the table.

"Now that I've had time to study it without any bones poking out of my skin, it seems that it was nothing more than an intricate network of sensor ghosts and false readings on the surface of the planet."

Ronon stopped shovelling food into his mouth for a moment, but kept his spoon ready as he asked, "So there was nothing there?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and grabbed a sandwich from his plate, "What did I just say?"

Ronon glared at the scientist and Teyla quickly said, "It is unsettling to know that nothing we encountered on the planet was real."

John added, "Zelenka even said that he doesn't reckon the Jumper was ever damaged, that the whole thing was just an illusion from the projectors."

Rodney's eyes were now tracking along the data on his tablet where it rested on the table and he said sadly, "Solid holograms are quite a feat, even for the Ancients. I would've liked to have studied them further." He sighed and continued, "Whatever it was, it drained the last of the power. There were no readings picked up by the Daedalus and the landing party didn't find anything. Even at the coordinates we gave them."

John narrowed his eyes, "But the cast they gave you, the stretcher and that box I got with the data. They were real and didn't vanish when we left."

"That's because they _were_ real," Rodney said in a superior tone. "Not that the data was very much use unless you're interested in hierarchies of multicoloured clothing and a language that even the best linguists on Atlantis can only just get their heads around."

John said, "That skeleton in the chair; I bet he was the only one who'd ever been alive on the planet and I think he must've been an Ancient."

Teyla nodded in agreement and they sat in quietly for a moment with only the sounds of Rodney tapping the computer and Ronon's messy eating breaking the silence.

After a while Rodney frowned in annoyance and said, "That slingshot device would've been very useful but there was no mention of it in the data we have been able to decipher and the readings from the Jumper were scrambled."

"The transporter?" Ronon asked.

Rodney said, "We don't know exactly what happened when we entered it, but both Radek and I reckon it took us to a place where the sensors couldn't detect the underground civilisation we saw."

John smiled, "Hey, maybe it took us to an alternate reality?"

Rodney sighed heavily and shook his head, "Wherever we were, the transporter you told me about that took us there wasn't on the surface nor was the hanger."

"We'll never know," John added dreamily.

Teyla smiled at Rodney and said, "I do not mind the mystery. I am just glad you were able to help us use the transporter to get away in the end." But truly she was glad that Rodney had not died from his serious leg injury before they made it home.

Rodney gave her a lopsided grin and then absently munched on a sandwich as he continued to study the data on the tablet.

Teyla smiled at him and started eating her own lunch in silent appreciation for the people surrounding her.

* * *

_A/N – Phew! That was a long one… next up is '**Strawberry Crush'** for **voyfan7**_


	57. Strawberry Crush

_A/N – massive thanks goes out to __**voyfan7**__ who provided the plot for this one. I tweaked it a little bit, hope it's okay!_

**_Strawberry Crush_**

Sheppard and McKay looked down in pride at the wooden crate on the floor in the rear compartment of the Puddle Jumper. Rodney was sweaty and red-faced, but he looked happy despite the recent exertion.

John said, "Teyla's so going to owe us one for this."

"Absolutely," Rodney replied and leant over. He grabbed a small red fruit from the knee-high open crate and although John tried to pat his hand out of the way, he ate it.

John said quietly, "That's if there are any left by the time we get back."

Rodney chewed and swallowed with a guilty expression. He folded his arms over his chest. "It was only one."

John raised his eyebrows. "One soon turns into two and then three. Before you know it, the whole crate's gone!"

"Wow, Sheppard. I don't think even I'd be able to make it through the lot, despite your misinformed opinion of my eating habits."

John smirked, "Let's go home before that changes."

Rodney hummed as they both went and took their respective seats in the cockpit. Rodney grabbed his computer and immediately started working on something complicated which scrolled up and along the screen rapidly. While he typed, John piloted the Jumper up into the sky and back towards the gate.

Rodney spoke as he continued to type, "It's nice to meet people who don't want to prod us with spears and knives the moment they meet us."

John smiled, "It's usually only you they want to poke."

Rodney sighed quietly and John reached for the DHD. As he dialled it, the gate suddenly activated on an incoming wormhole before theirs could form.

John swerved the Jumper out of the way just in time which made Rodney look up. He asked, "What's going on?"

John waved at Rodney's computer and asked, "What are you doing?"

"If you must know, I'm finding a way to increase the efficiency of the water desalination processor on the North Pier."

"Can it and pay more attention! We've got hostiles. The cloak's holding."

Rodney's eyes widened. "Oh, the Wraith!"

"At least ten darts and there could be a Hive in orbit too."

John brought up the HUD and scanned for life signs. "That's odd. Look, all the natives have gone."

Rodney frowned. "We'll have to find them later, but if we can't read them, neither can the Wraith. Anyway, it could be hours before it's over. We should find somewhere to land and hide from them in case we're detected. Save the power."

John nodded, "Any suggestions?"

Rodney tapped feverishly on his computer. "There's a range of caves a few miles away. Here." The HUD came up with a new flashing marker. "The rock is rich in a metal element the darts' sensors will have difficulty penetrating."

John said, "Okay, laying in a Wraith dodging course."

* * *

Rodney and John sat in the Jumper for a long while in the darkened cave. John brought up the HUD. "Sensors can't break through it. Wait here and I'll go and find out if it's over."

Rodney grimaced and carried on working on his computer as he had been for the past couple of hours.

John stood up and said, "Keep the radio channel open."

Rodney rolled his eyes and huffed, "It won't work." He gestured with his hands, "Nothing in. Nothing out."

John shrugged. "Alright. Sit tight, I'll be back in a minute." He grabbed a torch and stuffed it into his tac vest.

Rodney waited until he was gone, and the light out in the cave had faded away, before he glanced around nervously and went into the rear compartment. He took one more of the small red fruits and popped it in his mouth. He closed his eyes and smiled happily as he ate it.

* * *

John ran outside into the bright daylight. The Jumper was a fair way into the cave just to be safe, so it had taken more than a few minutes to get there. He looked down into the valley and saw that there was still a single dart flying around over the village they had visited. He watched as it suddenly altered course where it had been zigzagging without any apparent purpose and came towards him straight and true.

He glanced around and took cover under a rocky overhang facing the cave entrance, so that he could not be seen or culled.

He heard the dart approaching and threw himself to the ground as it opened fire on the cave and the rocky formation above it. The Wraith must have been furious over the abandoned village to initiate such an attack. He covered his head as the ground shook and there was a deafening sound of rock clashing against rock and dust spewed forth and covered him.

* * *

Rodney eyed the fruit crate and steeled himself. He had taken off his tac vest while they had waited and it was slung over his seat in the cockpit. He knew it would be selfish for him to eat too many of them and deprive Atlantis of the goodwill gesture gift they had been given.

The deck suddenly became unstable when the ground shook savagely from side to side. Rodney grabbed the overhead rack and spread his feet to prevent a fall.

"What the hell?" he muttered as the shaking increased and he swayed in time with the ship to compensate for the violent movement.

He knew the area was seismically stable, so an earthquake could only mean one thing. He had resolved to stumble back into the cockpit to raise the shields and fly out if necessary, but there was a sudden huge bang followed by a loud crashing crunching and scraping sound.

What felt like a heavy hand against his back slammed into him and he cried out in shock as he lost his grip on the rack and was shoved face first towards the shallow knee-high crate in front of him against all his strongest resistance.

He twisted slightly as he fell due to the shaking and landed on the two edges of the topmost open fruit crate. He struck his chest and lower abdomen and his breath left him. Damp quickly spread through his clothes and he hoped it was where he had squished the fruit rather than his blood, but the blunt trauma of his landing had left him too stunned to register any pain yet.

The lights suddenly went out and Rodney inhaled a rapid breath in fear over the noise as he could no longer see what was causing it or what was around him in the terror of the abrupt and absolute darkness. He fumbled with his hands and arms to push himself up and away where he was lying on the sharps edges of the crate, but he could not move.

He felt something pressing down unrelentingly on his back and the crate under him creaked, along with his ribs and pelvis, to see which would break first. He could no longer breathe as the life was slowly and mercilessly crushed out of him.

An unpleasant cracking, splintering sound hit his fading hearing and he fell a short distance. The pressure followed him down and pinned him facedown to the deck. There was a sharp pain in his stomach along with the heavy weight still squashing him and then there was nothing.

* * *

John picked himself up when the earthquake finally subsided. He strained his ears in the silence, but he could not hear the dart anymore. The air was heavy with dust and he coughed as it clung to the inside of his throat and tried to smother and choke him. He went to the cave entrance, but there was no longer a way in as the opening had gone where the entire ceiling had collapsed in a heap of rubble.

"Sheppard to McKay," he croaked into his radio and coughed again.

"McKay? Please respond… Rodney?"

He pulled out his life signs detector, but there was nothing.

"Of course." He continued like McKay, "No signal, Sheppard. Do I have to draw a diagram?"

"No, but you'd better still be safe and sound in the Jumper, if the cave-in went as far as you."

John knew Jumpers could take a huge amount of pressure, weight and pounding, but there had been some lethal looking stalactites above the parking place. It would only take one lucky hit to punch through the hull. If Rodney had not got the shield up in time… even if he had, it might buckle under a focused hit like that. If that had happened, then the weakness would enable the rocks to effectively crush the Jumper like a tin can.

John pushed the thought aside, "He's fine, but I need help to get him out."

He looked at the screen in his hand again. The gate was a few miles away in the valley. He picked up his feet and ran as fast as he could; knowing that if he was wrong, Rodney desperately need help and soon, if he was not already beyond aid.

* * *

Rodney woke up trapped in a world of pain. It was pitch black, so he did not even have anything to look at to distract him from the agony. He panted and gritted his teeth, but that only made things worse.

There was a heavy weight resting on his lower back and his arms were widely splayed out on either side of himself. He tried to move them in an effort to free himself, but he was totally pinned down and the attempted shift sent fiery needles of pain dancing around his ribcage. He breathed noisily for a few minutes and closed his eyes as nausea and unconsciousness tried to take him away.

That was when he realised that there was a nasty smell all around him. It was a combination of metal and juice from the sickly sweet fruit which had tasted just like strawberries from Earth. He hoped the metallic scent was from the hull of the Jumper, but his instincts and the darkness switched it around in his mind and told him it was blood. The smell had been created where the crushed fruit had mixed with his leaking fluids in a revolting sticky cocktail.

When he returned to full unpleasant awareness again, he moved on to concentrate on his legs next. He squirmed and ended up bellowing in agony as his pelvis shifted with a grating sensation. The pain encircled his waist and ran down both of his legs until he was gasping in the dark.

The air seemed to be thinning as he could not get enough of it to fight away the dizziness in each whimpered inhalation. He was unable to move at all, he decided, at least not without it hurting so much that it sent him into spasms and noisy outbursts of unavoidable pain.

When he had sufficiently recovered, he kept utterly still and took full stock of his body. The worst pain was in his chest and lower abdomen. Probably caused by broken ribs and maybe even a shattered pelvis. He whispered into the black in front of his eyes, "Okay, so I can't breathe and I'll never be able to walk again. What else?"

His legs themselves were bent round, but did not seem to be hurting. He was unsure whether they were trapped, but any movement was out of the question. His head seemed to be alright too, as were his arms. Any pain their attempted movement had caused had been referred from his ribs.

There was something else though, a constant sharp spike in his stomach. It had started out as a dull feeling like a bruise from where he had been bashed down into the deck by the weight above him, but it was getting worse all the time and he could not escape. It was beginning to restrict his breathing as it spread out under his diaphragm, not that sucking in breaths was in any way fun for him as every single one hurt more than he could stand.

"Internal bleeding! Oh, no, I have to get out of here!"

Rodney struggled in his panic and screamed when it set his broken bones and bruises alight once more. Before he could gain any ground on freeing himself, his eyes closed involuntarily and the darkness blanketed his mind as well as his sight.

* * *

Sheppard flew the new Jumper he had taken from Atlantis over the cave where he had parked the other one with Rodney still onboard. There were two other rescue Jumpers with him.

He brought up the HUD. Zelenka was sitting next to him, increasing the power of the sensors to try and break through the interference caused by the rock to pick up either Rodney's life sign or the Jumper itself.

The village was populated again and John frowned. He expanded the search and realised that there was another range of caves close to the settlement. The people must have taken shelter in the cave and the Wraith had not been able to take anyone.

"No wonder they were so annoyed and shot at me," John muttered.

Radek said, "Narrow the search to focus on the cave only, Colonel."

Sheppard did as he was asked and hovered the Jumper above the collapsed ridge. He looked down at the pile of rubble and furrowed his brow. If Rodney was somewhere in the middle of all of the debris, he hoped he had stayed in the Jumper and it had provided sufficient cover for him to not be crushed by the falling rock.

Carson was also with them, along with a full medical team just in case, but John really only asked them to come as a precaution.

"I have something," Radek said. "It is a faint reading just above the collapse. The Jumper may have been revealed by the shifting of the earth."

John flew over to the place indicated on the HUD. He could not see anything out of the windscreen, but he radioed the other Jumpers to begin the operation of removing the rocks from the area indicated to try and dig out the trapped Jumper with its solitary occupant.

* * *

John kept trying the radio every few minutes, but he did not get a reply. He helped the teams as they used their hands to move the smaller rubble and winches and stout metal cables to remove the larger boulders. Every single piece removed was carefully judged to make sure that no further cave-ins were caused.

They gradually uncovered a drive pod, but it was no longer connected to anything and John was worried and saw the same concern mirrored in Carson's face where the medical team waited to be called over.

He soon started calling out to the pile of stone, "Rodney! Can you hear me?"

He never got any reply. Radek was standing nearby with his life signs detector out. He fiddled with the device, but from his sighs and exasperated face, Sheppard knew that he was not making any progress at finding the missing scientist. Or maybe there was nothing left for him to detect? John tossed another rock to the man next to him as they continued to bail out the marked area and pushed the thought aside as they sped up their work.

A shout came back from another location a few metres away from where John was working. "I have something!"

John tried to run over, but had to slow right down on the uneven surface. He saw the edge of a piece of brown, scraped metal. It was badly damaged and twisted and his heart dropped in fear. If the whole Jumper was like that, then what chance had… _did_ Rodney stand to survive?

"Carson, you'd better get over here!" He called out to the Jumper parked a safe distance away.

All the rescue teams worked on that one area and soon uncovered a mangled wreck. Rock had punched through the hull and crushed most of the sturdy vessel underneath. There was a large oblong boulder pressed down against what had once been the rear compartment and John shook his head, "We need one of the other Jumpers to lift this."

The cables were tied around the rock and everyone backed right away as it was lifted clear and deposited a distance away.

The rescue team deemed the area safe and John climbed down through the large hole which had been punched through the roof of the Jumper. He pulled out a torch and crouched down as he ducked underneath the compressed section of the ship and entered what had once been the rear compartment.

He saw a figure lying facedown on the deck where the rock they had just removed had once rested over the section. Carson came down behind him and pushed past to get to Rodney.

John stood back and braced himself for the worst. Rodney's clothes were torn and his skin showing through the slashes was pale, bruised and cut.

Carson used his hands at first to check Rodney over, "He's still alive, get that backboard and oxygen down here!"

John felt the tension in his chest lessen just a tiny amount.

The medical team completely immobilised McKay with a neck collar and slid the board under him. They kept him as still as possible and Carson checked Rodney's outstretched arms before he moved them in to rest by the scientist on the board.

The entire medical team shoved John right back against the bent metal of the hull as they swarmed around McKay. Carson called out, "There's a piece of wood impaled in his side. I thought these Jumpers were made of metal?"

John looked down at the floor and noticed that there was a sticky red sheen on the dusty deck. "It's from a crate of fruit we got from the locals."

Carson and his team rolled the still totally unresponsive scientist over onto the backboard without moving his spine. Bandages were quickly wrapped around the shard imbedded in him and clothes which had turned into rags were swiftly cut away. Carson checked Rodney over more thoroughly, "Broken ribs, bruising, cuts… Aye, he got himself banged up alright."

An oxygen mask obscured Rodney's slack, grimy face and Carson checked each limb in turn. "No other breaks I can feel." He placed his hands on either side of Rodney's hips and his face fell in horror. "Hurry! We have to get him back to Atlantis!"

John did not understand what the sudden urgency was; Rodney had been lying under the rubble for over an hour. The medical team wrapped Rodney in blankets and strapped him down. John helped them as they lifted the injured man out of his rocky tomb and carried him back to the Jumper.

Carson all the while was saying, "Careful! Don't jostle him."

John ran into the cockpit and powered up the engines. He instructed the other teams to work with Radek and see whether there was anything useful worth salvaging from the squashed Jumper. He heard the medical team talking to each other in hushed voices as they continued to work on Rodney in the rear compartment, but he channelled all his concentration into flying rather than trying to hear and understand what they were saying.

* * *

"I shouldn't have left you behind, Rodney. For that, I'm sorry." John said to the deathly pale unconscious man in the infirmary bed in front of him. "The cloak would've been enough to hide us. We then could've stayed together in the Jumper to check on the Wraith."

John sighed and winced at all the thick bandages wrapped around his friend. Carson told him after many, many hours of surgery that Rodney had been so badly crushed that he had fractured his pelvis along with several ribs, and a penetrating puncture wound to his abdomen had been caused by a piece of crate he had landed on. John was unsure exactly what miracle Carson had worked to repair the damage, but he had seemed confident that Rodney would eventually make a full recovery from his injuries.

It was now a few days later and the scientist had still not awoken. John was careful not to disturb any of the leads and cables as he took Rodney's hand in his own. He was glad that Rodney was breathing independently, but he still felt guilty about what had happened.

"Strawberries…" a quiet voice whispered.

"Rodney!" John sat up straighter and watched McKay's face twitch in pain and his breath hitched as he became aware of what he was feeling. John called Carson over and gave Rodney some water.

Rodney mumbled sadly, "I'm sorry. I should've listened to you about the fruit. I went and ate another one."

"It's alright, Rodney," John said with his brow furrowed.

"No. It's not." Rodney's face became tighter every second and he still had not opened his eyes.

Carson came over and John let go of McKay's hand while the doctor worked. He adjusted some of the lines and asked, "How are you feeling today, Rodney?"

"Crappy."

"Aye, but at least you've finally decided to come back to us."

Rodney finally opened his eyes narrowly and looked at the two men with him. He grimaced and turned to Carson, "Haven't you got any better drugs? It feels like I'm coming apart."

John scolded, "Don't be mean to the good doctor."

"Too right, laddie," Carson looked kindly at Rodney. "You're going to be in here for quite some time."

"But I've got work to do!" Rodney protested.

"The only work you'll be doing is lying there healing your broken pelvis. You'll be stuck in here for weeks I'm afraid."

Rodney's face fell in misery.

John said, "At least you can still talk I suppose."

Rodney averted his eyes as he looked down sadly. Carson also started to look despondent at Rodney's low mood.

John frowned and tried to perk them up. "We went back to the planet to check in with the locals and make sure everything was alright after the Wraith. They said the Wraith didn't take anyone at all in the cull."

Rodney looked up and his sadness faded slightly.

John smiled, "When I told them what happened, they were so upset they gave us another crate of strawberries."

"Oh," Rodney sighed and suppressed a flinch. Carson rested his hand on Rodney's shoulder.

"I'll bring you some now that you're feeling livelier." John turned to Carson, "That is if he's allowed."

Carson smiled, "I don't see why not. Don't eat too many though."

Rodney blinked slowly and started to look a little better.

John grinned, "They also said it was the beginning of the season so we can expect them for many more months. Elizabeth's setting up a proper trading arrangement as she feels guilty for taking advantage of their generosity."

Rodney's mouth twitched and slowly, but surely, his lips curled up into a small smile of his own. Carson patted his shoulder and walked away.

John leant in and said, "I'll see what I can do about getting you a computer too, if you feel up to it. I'm sure you can still terrorise the other scientists even if you can't walk for a while."

Rodney's smile broadened and he closed his eyes. John squeezed Rodney's arm as he drifted off to sleep and his face smoothed out.

* * *

_A/N – Thanks for reading (as always) and I love to hear what you think. Keep the ideas coming!_


	58. Not Really Kidnapping

_A/N - Ah, I so miss the good old days of the utterly plotless Rodney whump!fic. Just because I have a monstrous toothache and really needed it… It's been a while._

_**Not Really Kidnapping**_

"Unauthorised launch from the Jumper Bay!" Chuck announced in a raised voice.

Rodney frowned from where he was sat next to the technician in the control room, running a diagnostic on the internal sensors.

Elizabeth came out of her office and strode towards them. "Who is it?"

Rodney pressed a few controls and glared at the computer, "How am I supposed to know?!

At Weir's look, he added, "I'm detecting one life sign in the Jumper."

"Weir to Jumper Seven. You are not cleared for launch. Return to Atlantis immediately." She thumbed her radio to a different channel, "Colonel Sheppard to the Control Room. We have a situation."

Chuck's calm as you like voice said smoothly, "They're launching a drone. It's heading our way." He then raised his voice, "Everyone get down!"

Rodney squeaked, "What?!"

Suddenly the window behind the stargate shattered and there was a bright yellow light, just before the weapon zipped through the inactive gate and impacted the stairs. Shockwaves from the explosion sent everyone in the room sprawling as glass and debris were liberally thrown everywhere.

Most people had had the foresight to get down and shield themselves, but Rodney now sat at his post, covered in cuts and scrapes from the debris, as he continued to type on his computer as though nothing had happened. Blood leaked from a nasty gash on his cheek and dribbled down his face, but he merely sighed and brushed it away.

"Medical teams to the Gate Room," Weir requested over the radio.

She came over and stood behind Rodney, he was apparently unfazed by his injuries, so she didn't mention them either. "Find out who's on that ship and get it back here."

"Would you like a rabbit with that too, or are you okay with the slightly less impressive silk hanky?"

"_Rodney…"_ Elizabeth warned.

He sighed wearily and grimaced. "I can't tell you the name of the person on it, but judging by the erratic flightpath, I'd say they're out for a joyride. They just fired another drone and hit the South Pier. No-one's out there, but it's not exactly the action of someone sound of mind. Where's Sheppard?"

Elizabeth glanced around. Medical teams were tending to some of the people who had been nearer the explosion, they were all walking wounded and there did not appear to be any serious injuries. One of them approached Rodney eyeing his cut purposefully, but he shoved them away with a annoyed glare and a grunt.

She tapped her radio again, "Control to Colonel Sheppard."

Rodney looked up at her with wide eyes, "He can't be the one in the Jumper?!"

She pursed her lips as she looked back at him, "Can you bring it back?"

Rodney frowned for a moment and then sighed, "I don't think so. A Puddle Jumper is a closed system. Short of shooting it down, I don't think there's any other way."

He suddenly snapped his fingers a few times, "Unless…" and started frantically typing.

"What is it?"

Rodney ignored her as he brought up schematic after schematic. "Gotcha!"

"Dr McKay?"

"What? Oh, yes. Well, if I can get close enough, I might be able to rig a drone to detonate and knock out all the electrics… or perhaps hack into the systems through a comm link. Hmm…"

Chuck called out, "Rogue Jumper is heading towards the mainland."

Elizabeth startled, "The Athosians… you must hurry, Rodney. We don't have time to find Colonel Sheppard."

"I know, I know." Rodney unplugged the laptop and tucked it under his arm as he got up.

Elizabeth caught his arm just before he walked away and searched his face with her eyes, taking in all the cuts and the swelling on his cheek, "Hey, are you okay?"

Rodney pulled his arm away so quickly that he nearly took Elizabeth with him. "Well, despite all the blood and pain, I think getting to that Jumper before the Athosians get shot at is far more important than how long it takes me to bleed out."

Elizabeth nodded and allowed him to go.

* * *

Rodney jogged into the Jumper bay and headed to an open hatch of one ready and prepped to go. He had only just stepped inside when a hand grabbed his throat from behind and a hard object pressed into his back.

He flinched and struggled, "What are you…" and the grip on his neck tightened, choking off his air supply and the question.

A menacing harsh voice breathed right into his ear, "I knew you'd come eventually if I waited, or someone would come…"

Rodney coughed as his neck spasmed around the grasping fingers digging into his skin.

The _whatever it was_ jabbed him hard in the back and the assailant guided him over to the pilot's seat. _Great, a bruised kidney. Pink pee for a week._ Rodney thought miserably.

He was shoved down heavily and placed his computer on the console. He turned to the attacker and gasped, "Sheppard!?"

His reward was a smack in the mouth from the gun held by the man he had considered his friend. He winced and spat blood as Sheppard sat down next to him. Rodney glanced at him with his brow furrowed, not needing to put on any kind of hurt expression in the betrayal, his natural reaction was more than enough. John looked unnerved and shifty, his pupils dilated, his skin flushed and sweaty. He waved the gun at Rodney, making him cringe away and tense up in anticipation of being shot.

John muttered quickly, "Lorne's got the other one. But why should he have all the fun?"

"Sheppard, what's going on? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Just fly the damn ship."

Rodney continued to look at him and didn't move, so John stood up, angled the gun down and pressed it into Rodney's right shoulder. "Get after him!"

Rodney tried to move away from the metal bruising him, but John followed him. "Why don't _you_ fly it if you're so desperate?"

"Not enough time. Fly the ship, get him back."

"That's what I was going to do anyway," Rodney grumbled.

John pistol whipped him in the face again and a globule of blood blossomed and burst from his nose all over the console, "Stop hitting me!" Rodney shouted in anger, his voice wavering and nasal.

He powered up the ship and sealed the rear hatch. He spat out some more blood and muttered, "What the hell is your problem today, Sheppard? Has someone slipped you some good drugs?"

Sheppard glared back at him and Rodney noted that he was panting and his eyes were darting around as he fidgeted. Rodney's eyes kept drifting down to the gun pointing at him and he wondered if John was so wired that even Rodney would be able to disarm him. Either that or his finger would twitch involuntarily and that would be the end of Rodney McKay.

The Jumper flew out over the ocean and Rodney tapped the comm, "Jumper Four to Atlantis."

Elizabeth answered, _"You had us worried. What took so long?"_

John waved the gun threateningly and placed a finger against his lips and shook his head.

Rodney swallowed and stuttered, "N-nothing. No problem!"

"_Rodney, what's wrong?"_

He snapped, "I said nothing! I'm busy at the moment, I'll call you later."

"_I think we should keep an open…"_

"McKay out." Rodney tapped the comm to prevent the internal speakers from broadcasting the fact that the channel _was_ still open. Anyone in the Control Room could still hear what was going on.

"So, Sheppard, what have you taken, or do you have any idea who could've slipped you something?"

John glared at him and then at the HUD when Rodney brought it up to track their quarry. Fortunately the loopy flying of the other ship had prevented it from reaching the mainland yet. If that was even where it was going…

Rodney eyed the gun and gulped nervously as his palms slipped in panic sweat over the controls. His voice rose to an embarrassing pitch as he said, "You can wave that gun at me all you like, I'm not scared."

John suddenly lunged at him and Rodney squealed in fright. His thoughts transferring to the Jumper and making it spin out of control as he struggled and John punched him in the nose again with his left hand and brought the gun up in his other.

"What do you want!?" Rodney cried desperately and John stopped attacking him and sat back down. Rodney was short of breath, but he eventually regained control of the ship, along with his lungs, and sped the ship towards the other one. He hadn't even had time to figure out how to stop it yet, short of shooting it down.

Rodney winced from the new bruises and scrapes John had just inflicted, they threatened a major headache later, but he was certain he had just given John a few good whacks too.

John spoke in a monotone, "We can't let Lorne win the race. We need to reach the mainland first."

"That is the general idea, Colonel."

"But you're not fast enough."

John came at him again and hefted Rodney right out of the seat by the lapels of his jacket. He flung Rodney into the rear compartment with terrifying strength and pointed the gun at him menacingly as he took Rodney's place.

Rodney lay on the floor for a moment recovering his senses and then he pushed himself upright, intending to go into the cockpit. He shouted, "What the hell are you playing at?"

John spun round in his seat, there was a small flash and a loud bang and Rodney stumbled backwards. He brought his hands up shakily to his midsection and then looked down at himself to where there was a now a gaping bullet hole low down in his side, at his right hip. He narrowed his eyes and murmured before falling down, splashing blood liberally on the deck from the injury. "Wh-what the h-hell?! Y-you shot me."

He gasped as he flopped over onto his unhurt side and shook with pain. He pressed his hand uselessly over the wound, blood seeping out between his fingers and dripping down.

John blinked at him blankly and then turned back to the console. Everything was up to Rodney now, but he was really going to die from that injury, and it _hurt_ and blood was pooling under him unnervingly fast. If the bullet had hit bone… he tried not to think about it as he gritted his teeth and steeled himself. He had to get the medkit and bind up his side or he would bleed to death.

He scrambled upright using the bench for leverage and then grabbed hold of the netting overhead, whimpering as he straightened. He pulled out the medkit and wrapped a bandage around his waist, pulling it so tight that when he came back to awareness, he was on the deck again with no memory of getting there.

John seemed to be looping the Jumper round and round in crazy circles, as when Rodney blinked to clear his eyes, the sea and sky kept changing place in the window at a dizzying rate.

Rodney stood up again and grabbed hold of the wall when he felt wobbly on his feet, limping over to the bulkhead doors. He clutched his wounded side as he went, but it didn't help.

He reached up with a shaking hand and was trying to hit the control on the wall, when John spun around again and squeezed the trigger a second time. Rodney cried out in fury as another bullet pierced his body. It felt like a solid punch to his left shoulder, breaking the blade on its passage through him and splattering the wall behind red on its way out his back.

"Stop shooting me!" He slammed his bloody hand down on the panel and the central bulkhead door slid shut. Why Sheppard hadn't just shot him in the heart or head, he was unsure, it was not like the Colonel was a bad shot, but he was clearly 100% off his rocker.

Rodney's useless arm hung down limply as he locked out Sheppard so that he couldn't open the door. He looked at the open medkit on the rear bench, but he couldn't face trying to one handedly wrap a bandage around the new holes in him. He smeared blood all over the place as he stood on one leg and pulled down the crystal tray. It was slow going with only one working hand and his mind was getting sluggish alarmingly fast. He growled in frustration at his useless, failing body as he weakened.

He would need to act quickly. It would only be a few more seconds, or minutes at the most, before he passed out from the blood loss. And he was absolutely _not_ going to break down and cry about it, even in the huge amount of pain he was suffering, nor as the sobs tried to force their way up his throat. Rodney didn't cry. He just didn't.

He vented the air from the cockpit and put the Jumper on autopilot. He gave it a few seconds before he returned the air and opened the bulkhead door. He retrieved some zip ties and fell down onto his knees, the jarring impact going right through him and making him retch.

Mainly using his working hand and leg, he crawled his painful way into the cockpit. He was savagely pleased to see that Sheppard was sprawled unconscious, but still alive, on the deck. Rodney grabbed the gun and checked the safety was on before tossing it into the rear compartment. He checked Sheppard for more weapons, before tying his wrists and ankles together and used a third tie to secure him to the co-pilot's seat base, but couldn't face dragging him anywhere.

Rodney hefted himself up into the seat and grabbed his computer. The other Jumper was a long way away and dangerously close to the mainland. A third Jumper was behind and approaching fast. He keyed the radio on.

"McKay… to… Atlantis…" he said breathily, gnawing at his lower lip to suppress anything else, and breathing through his nose like he'd just run the marine's Atlantis Loop.

Elizabeth answered, _"Rodney! We heard gunshots."_

"That was Sheppard. He clipped me a couple of times," which was the usual understatement.

"_Come back to Atlantis. We sent out another Jumper. Zelenka's onboard. They're going after the other ship."_

Rodney sighed and closed his eyes briefly.

He was startled awake by an urgent voice, _"Rodney? Rodney! Do you need assistance?"_

He mumbled sleepily, "No no no. We're fine." He glanced down at himself and watched the trail of blood still running out of the front of his shoulder and seeping through the bandage at his hip, staining his uniform a shiny shade of black. He cradled his useless arm in his lap, but it hurt so much he felt nauseous.

"_Rodney_," Elizabeth sighed and lowered her voice. _"How badly are you hurt?"_

Rodney's reply bordered on the hysterical, "I'll just try and make sure there's something left for Carson to put back together!"

"_I'll put you through to him, hold on."_

Carson's infuriatingly calm voice soon came through the speakers, _"Rodney, lad, I hear you've had a mishap."_

"That could be an understatement…" Rodney glanced at the HUD and adjusted course. They would be back soon. He just had to hold onto the thin strand of consciousness until then.

"_John shot you."_ It wasn't a question.

"Twice, yes. In my shoulder and hip. I can barely stay awake and it's getting harder to breathe."

Rodney eyes went bleary and he could hear a constant Scottish voice yammering in his head, but he could only reply in pained grunts as he used all his strength to fly the Jumper home. He could see the city now. A tiny dot on the surface of the ocean ahead of him. He glanced down at his free hand on the controls and was afraid at how pale it was, like it wasn't even his. There was bright red smeared on the ghostly skin, gory against the white. He blinked slowly down at it and the constant muttering washing over him suddenly turned into shouting.

"I'm awake, stop screaming at me," Rodney said weakly. He glanced up and saw that Atlantis was looming ahead, he mumbled, "Home sweet home," and then slumped forwards onto the console in relief.

The nose of the Jumper pitched down and it crashed into one of the piers and rolled a few times before coming to a stop, perilously close to the edge. The inertial dampeners saved the occupants from further injury, but they were both deeply unconscious when the med teams finally arrived.

* * *

Rodney was in surgery for many hours and unconscious for several days after the Jumper incident.

Major Lorne was brought back safely after his joyride, Zelenka taking advantage of his unstable mental state to easily take control of the other Jumper.

Both Sheppard and Lorne spent a couple of days in the infirmary, in restraints and under observation while Carson and his team studied the drug in their systems.

* * *

It turned out that it was a plant the biologists put in the locker room to brighten the place up. It released a spore into the air which caused irrational and impulsive behaviour, violent outbursts and mood swings. It worked its way out of both of their systems eventually on its own. It had affected a few other people, but they were easier to detain as none of them had the ATA gene and decided to steal Puddle Jumpers.

Carson said to Rodney one day, "Why he took you hostage and then shot you is beyond me, but maybe you can ask him when he comes to visit?"

Rodney blinked at Carson tiredly and then fell asleep again.

* * *

A few days later, after John's follow up session in the infirmary, he steeled himself and finally went over to see how Rodney was doing. He paused by Rodney's bed for a few seconds after he finally had all his senses back. He had avoided going near Rodney while he was trapped in the infirmary, even when the restraints were removed after the first day.

He steeled his jaw as his eyes tracked along Rodney's bandaged and well tubed still form. Then he turned without so much as a word. He had nearly killed his friend, drugged or not, it was unforgiveable.

"It's okay," Rodney whispered from behind him, making John whirl around and look down.

Hidden under the sheet, Rodney's side, hip and shoulder were all well bandaged while the bones and extensively damaged soft tissues mended. His face had some small cuts from the explosion debris, as well as being several shades of black and blue. It would be a while before he could walk or use his arm again, but Carson was confident that with many rigorous and masochistic physio sessions he would be as good as new in no time.

Rodney said quietly, "Despite the whole near death and the total badass you became, I know it wasn't you doing all those things. H-hitting and shooting me like one of those stupid targets on the range. You scored low by the way."

"But it _was _me. I could see everything, I still see it all the time now. Pulling the trigger and lashing out. I just couldn't control it."

"I said it's okay, just watch out for plants in strange places."

John sat down next to his friend and started to feel a bit better. He watched as Rodney drifted for a while and then leant forward and said, "I'd say I scored high. I got you didn't I?"

Rodney kept his eyes closed as he drawled in a passable impression of Sheppard, "'That's another zero then, McKay? Honestly you should keep your eyes open.'" Rodney grumbled, "I hit the picture on the paper didn't I? Which incidentally, is far too small unless you're a beady eyed eagle."

"That's still zero in the rules we use!" Sheppard protested.

"Exactly."

Sheppard resisted the urge to smack McKay for being so annoying, purely by the fact that Rodney was already badly injured and might not appreciate it. Maybe some of the drug was still in his system… perhaps it would _never_ leave…

Rodney gave him a small mischievous smile. "When I get out of here, you'd just better watch your quarters for unfortunate malfunctions. Ever since we used the storm to electrify the city, I've always wanted to test my theory about static electricity in the floors."

Sheppard couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous at that. He patted his hair absently and stayed with Rodney even after he had fallen into a deep sleep, complete with camera-worthy drooling, moaning and snoring.


	59. Skydive

_A/N - Some physical whump for those who've been waiting ever so patiently (don't forget to check out my Chevron 7.4 Convention Report on LiveJournal (linked on my home page) I met David Hewlett and took lots of scrummy photos and everything!)_

_As for this tale of woe - I knew that 'Worst Case Scenario' calendar would come in handy. I therefore present this ridiculous story, to go with the equally ridiculous solution…_

**Skydive**

Rodney was rocked in his seat as yet another impact struck the very visible hull of the Jumper in the upper atmosphere of the planet they were surveying.

"Evasive manoeuvres, Sheppard!" he cried. "That means moving out of the way!"

John gritted his teeth and frowned in concentration. "There are three Wraith darts, McKay. There's only a certain amount of dodging you can do. Anyway I'm not complaining about the broken cloak."

Rodney bristled and swayed again as a strike pushed the inertial dampeners beyond their abilities to block the impact from transferring through the metal to the occupants.

John fired two drones, and a few seconds later two of the three pursuers were nothing but fiery dust and smoke.

The third one stayed on their tail and one more lucky shot had the crystal tray in the back of the Jumper explode in a shower of sparks. Rodney frantically typed on the co-pilot's control panels and the tablet computer in his lap, while John tracked the single dart on the HUD.

"One more hit and we're toast," Rodney said in a high voice, which must've come mainly from his nose to reach such a pitch.

John shot out the final drone and the weapon tracked towards the last dart. A moment before impact, the dart fired again, then exploded. The blue energy bolt grazed the drive pod, leaving a large, black gouge in the engine.

John sighed in relief and levelled off the Jumper. He smirked across at Rodney and said, "That was a close one. What the hell were the Wraith doing here anyway? There's no-one here, unless they've just culled everyone and left behind some darts just in case anyone hid. Wouldn't put it past them."

Rodney was merely gazing wide eyed at his computer.

John started to feel unnerved. "Hey, what's up?"

Rodney blinked and then tapped on the screen. "There's a build up of energy in the left drive pod from that last shot. I can't shut it down."

John's face fell. "Do we have enough time to land, so you can fix it?"

"Energy build up, Sheppard. Most of the components in the drive pod are fused, the control crystals are melted and useless. Which leaves only one ending. Overload. Explode."

"But you're a genius, right, McKay? I don't see this getting past you."

Rodney gestured at the coding on his screen and his voice entered the upper octaves of panic as he said, "No can fixy! Unless _you_ can learn the masterful art of conjuring brand new crystal and drive pods out of sheer willpower alone!"

John frowned, he'd already aimed the Jumper towards the surface, but while he'd been dodging the Wraith he'd been way up in the uppermost part of the atmosphere. He had a superstition that the lack of wind resistance made it easier to manoeuvre, but was sure Rodney would beat him down if he ever suggested _that_.

"What about time enough to land and clear the ship?"

Rodney shook his head, "Two minutes!"

_Huh?_ "Two minutes until what?"

"We also turn into debris and space dust!"

John grimaced. If Rodney really couldn't fix it… John had no reason to doubt his friend. Rodney may be a genius, but even he wasn't an omnipotent superbeing capable of fixing everything that went wrong. Although he would verbally beg to differ most of the time, and he was almost always right.

"Parachutes," John said and set the Jumper on autopilot so that when they bailed out at least they would be able to breathe.

"What?!" Rodney squeaked. "No no no no no!"

"Space dust?"

Rodney leapt out of his seat and together with Sheppard they went into the rear compartment. The crystal tray was on fire and smoke was being filtered out too slowly by the environmental controls. Rodney coughed and covered his mouth with a wince.

The scientist muttered, "Why the hell are there parachutes anyway?" as John handed him one of the four sets of parachute, goggles and helmet.

John grinned at him as he secured the straps of his chute around himself and then helped Rodney get clipped in too.

Rodney glared at him in realisation, "You don't? Seriously? You fling yourself out of Puddle Jumpers?"

John cleared his throat and lowered his voice in seriousness. "Training, McKay. I don't do it for fun." But there was a sparkle in his eye.

Rodney grimaced as he tugged the goggles and helmet on and secured his radio. He glanced at his watch. "One minute! Oh oh! I hope we're not going to suffocate out there."

John glanced into the cockpit, the HUD was still up and he could see they were thousands of feet up. It was going to be unpleasant, but a hell of a lot better than getting blown to pieces.

He did one final check of Rodney's and then his own gear, quickly telling Rodney how to work the parachute and reserve if it went wrong. And told him to roll when he landed or he'd break his legs. John then opened the rear hatch. Air immediately gusted into the opening and nearly knocked both men off their feet. Rodney backed away, so John grabbed hold of one of the man's chest straps and dragged him towards the opening.

Rodney yelled, "Thirty seconds!" just before John cleared the edge of the door, pulling Rodney with him all the time.

-------------------

The freezing air whipping past Rodney's face was terrifying as the bottom dropped out the world and he lost his stomach. It was difficult to breathe where ice pushed its way down into his lungs with each gasp. He also had his eyes shut and was gripping the straps of his parachute for dear life. There was a noise in his ear and after a few seconds, when the falling sensation started to diminish, he realised it was the radio.

"Open your eyes and flatten yourself out, you're dropping like a stone, McKay!"

Rodney blinked, grateful for the goggles, but they were not shielding the rest of his face from feeling like a tub of ice cream.

There was a small pop from high above and he looked up in time to see a flare like a second sun in the deep blue sky overhead. It was the explosive end of the Jumper.

He looked around and saw that Sheppard was a few metres away, keeping his distance and carefully adjusting his position to keep pace with Rodney's fall.

Rodney looked down.

Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea…

He shut his eyes again.

But the image he had just seen was the only thing he saw in his mind. It would haunt his nightmares forever - his feet pointing downwards towards an seemingly endless expanse of land, showing microscopic trees, rivers and fields, so far below it took what little cold breath he had right away in fright.

There was sudden sharp pain in his arm - the one held out to the side like he was trying to use it as a wing. He sucked in a frigid breath and glanced along himself. Blood was coming from a wound on his forearm, and leaving an upward trail as the wind whipped it away. He looked around for Sheppard again but couldn't see him.

He suddenly started panicking worse than ever. Had Sheppard pulled his 'chute and left him to fall to his certain death (even with the parachute he had, which was bound not to work) alone?

A shadow blocked out the sun and Rodney looked up. Sheppard was above him, as were a few large chunks of glittering shrapnel from the destroyed Jumper.

"Flatten out!" John yelled into the radio, making Rodney flinch. "Let them go past us or they'll tear our 'chutes to pieces when we open them!"

"Okay."

Rodney tilted his body so that he was laying face down against the air he was slicing through. The buffeting was awful and he had to shut his eyes again to avoid looking into the abyss of the solid ground rapidly coming towards him.

Metal fragments flew past, whistling against the wind.

John drew level with him again and then went lower. Rodney glanced up and saw a piece of metal drifting down towards then. It looked like a bit of ex-drivepod, and Sheppard was oblivious to its approach.

Rodney twisted his body until he was above Sheppard, protecting his friend, and braced himself.

There was a sudden heavy impact into Rodney's back and he grunted and cried out in shock as the alarmingly large and heavy piece of Puddle Jumper wreck bounced off his back and then flew past him far too close for comfort. His back throbbed, but he was hugely grateful for the parachute that had protected him from serious injury.

Rodney's heart clenched in terror when he couldn't immediately see John from where he'd been knocked out of the way. "Sheppard?!" he barked into the radio.

"That was the last of them. You alright?"

Rodney winced at the numbness across his back and replied, "I'm fine. I'm okay."

Rodney looked around again and saw Sheppard had once again drawn level.

Rodney grimaced and sucked in a breath. Either he was getting used to it, or the ground was getting nearer, because it didn't burn his lungs with frozen oxygen this time. He looked down again. Okay, trees not so microscopic now. More like little stitches on a giant tapestry.

John told him to open his parachute first and Rodney obeyed. But the moment the material flew out, he knew something had gone wrong.

He was yanked and tossed around, wrenching his back and neck as nothing but a parachute torn and ruined by the Jumper debris billowed out behind him. The reserve didn't work either.

John was shouting via the radio in his ear as Rodney spun and started to get nauseous from dizziness. Grey was encroaching on the edges of his vision and he knew he would pass out soon if he didn't do something. He grabbed the knife from his belt and cut the cords above his head.

Then he really was freefalling without any chance of survival. Rodney instinctively levelled out to increase the wind resistance and put off the inevitable for a few more frantic terrifying seconds.

John dove down and then drifted towards him and said, "Grab me!" just before he barrelled into Rodney.

Rodney lost his breath as what felt like a lump of concrete slammed into him. He got an elbow in the chest, and hit something, probably John's leg, with a flailing hand. Somehow they managed to grab hold of each other and stay that way.

John was awfully close and Rodney felt mildly put out by the encroach into his personal territory where they where now falling facing each other in a rather odd and unmanly hug. But if it was going to save his life, he tried not to let it bother him and held on as tightly as possible.

Rodney hooked his arms into the straps running down from John's shoulders to his waist, so that they were well wedged and then he took hold of his own straps. He shut his eyes tightly as his mind figured out in exactly what way his was about to be hurt and how badly.

John shouted, "Let go or you'll break your arms! I'll hold onto you."

"But my parachute's gone and you need your arms for military things. I can do voice activation and get your marines to fetch me stuff."

"No, I said I'll do it!"

"They'll kick you out the military if you can't do two hundred press ups in a minute! Whereas it doesn't matter so much for me. There isn't time. Pull the 'chute!"

And there really _wasn't_ enough time as John only had a few seconds to convince Rodney otherwise when he had been cultivating and nurturing his stubbornness all his life. John shouted, "Don't let go, no matter what!"

And pulled the cord.

Rodney screamed as his own weight against his arms looped through the straps wrenched them, and the bones gave way under the stress of the sudden change in speed.

He gasped and whimpered and then gave into the pain as his awareness switched to world of dull haze. He was vaguely aware that he was still holding onto John through it all and there was an endless litany of comforting words coming through his radio, and echoing close to his ear. He was aware of hands on his back keeping him secure, and then they left for a few minutes.

He twisted his ankle on the landing and John rolled them both over and over across what felt like a ten mile wide field. Each bump and jolt hurt Rodney's abused arms even more and the moment John had released them from their embrace, he rolled over onto his side and vomited into the grass. He then flopped down onto his back and kept his eyes tightly shut and his teeth gritted.

John was there a moment later, now lacking the parachute and with a face flushed red with cold burns. He'd got some decidedly twig-like splints from somewhere and asked Rodney, "Is your chest okay? Any broken ribs?"

Rodney mumbled, "I think everything's broken. I feel like a sack of wood chippings."

"Really? You don't look like one or I'd start a fire."

Rodney's damaged arms remained still, where they were bent obscenely out of shape by his sides which allowed John access to check Rodney's chest and ribs. He couldn't feel any breaks, and apart from the rapid breaths caused by the high pain, Rodney wasn't having any breathing problems.

He therefore gave Rodney a generous dose of morphine from the first aid kit in his vest pocket and then splinted and wrapped Rodney's arms as best he could. None of the breaks had broken the skin, but that didn't rule out internal bleeding. He was unsure exactly how badly broken they were, or indeed whether there were any intact bones at all. But Rodney's breathing evened out as the morphine sent him off to sleep. There was an occasional hitch and moan, but Rodney was completely out of it for all the time it took for the rescue Jumper to come and retrieve them.

--------------

"What the hell happened out there, Colonel?!" Carson asked in shock the moment he came out of surgery.

As if John didn't feel guilty enough.

Carson continued, "Rodney's arms were both broken in multiple places and his left shoulder was dislocated. We had to pin his bones back together. It's going to be weeks, if not months before he has full use of them again."

"He'll live though?"

Carson sighed, "Aye, he will. But he's not going to be very happy about all the things he won't be able to do on his own."

"He protected me from the falling debris and nearly killed himself in the process. I'll help him. It's the least I can do."

"Well, just be careful of his pride, he's a sensitive one."

John nodded. "Can I see him?"

"Yes, he should be coming round from the anaesthetic soon."

Carson led John into the recovery area off the infirmary and John settled in the seat next to Rodney's bed. There were IV lines going into him, feeding him a steady supply of painkillers and fluids. Both of his arms were well wrapped in bandages from his hands all the way up to his shoulders and across his upper chest. A heart monitor beeped softly nearby and a cannula under his nose fed him oxygen.

John waited and when he looked up a while later, he discovered weary blue eyes peering back at him.

"Hey."

"Hey," Rodney croaked and winced. "My arms hurt."

"I know. Do you want me to get Carson?"

"It'll pass."

John smiled at him, glad that Rodney was alive, although not quite in one piece. "When you're feeling better, we should go out again and have a proper skydive."

"My shattered arms are telling me otherwise."

"It'll be fun," John prodded. "You have to admit that the adrenaline buzz and the feel of the air against you as you fall is great!"

"Not really. If my face is as red and sore as yours, then I'll pass. Nice panda eyes by the way."

John grinned at Rodney, whose face was indeed red and blotchy apart from around his eyes where the goggles had protected his skin. It was more, falling asleep in the sun bad sunburn with sunglasses, than panda though.

Rodney scowled back at him. "I don't know what you're so happy about. That was a stupid suggestion. 'Let's jump out the back of a spaceship with parachutes and leave the Jumper near enough so that the debris tears our parachutes up!' Lucky my arms weren't wrenched right off!"

John's face fell. "Be nice, McKay. Or else who's going to feed you and do all the other things for the next few weeks?"

Rodney's looked mortified and his eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't!"

John's grin broadened, "No. But it's fun to tease."

Rodney relaxed a little bit, although his eyes were watery and John recognised it as pain getting past Carson's drugs. He called the doctor over and he upped the dosage of medication. "This will make you sleepy, Rodney. You _must_ tell me if it hurts. You don't need to suffer unnecessarily."

John nodded, "Don't try and be macho in front of me."

"Try?" Rodney whispered.

"No need, because I already know you are," John corrected with a smile.

Rodney gave him a lopsided and slightly demented smile in return, and John wasn't sure whether it was because of what he'd just said or the drugs making him loopy. But at least he wasn't in pain anymore.

----------------

_A/N - I clearly have a thing for flinging brave men (and Rodney) out the back of Puddle Jumpers moving at impossibly high speeds. Oh my! Poor Rodney!_


	60. DinoWorld

_A/N - **Frith in Thorns/Blue Shadowdancer** expressed an interest in me setting a PJM a the dinosaur world in her review of FF100 'Parents.' So here you are, if you're still reading..._

_**DinoWorld**_

"Yep, this definitely would _not_ have been a good Alpha Site," John said.

As he gazed out of the Puddle Jumper windshield, a gigantic winged reptile plummeted towards the ground and swept back into the sky with a small squirming creature gripped in its claws.

Rodney hummed from the co-pilot's seat as he buried himself in the data scrolling across his screen. "Let's not get too close."

John smirked. "They can't see us."

"I know, but I'd rather not end my existence as a snack for an overgrown lizard."

John grinned broadly. "Forget Jurassic Park, this place could be marketed as Jurassic _World!_"

"Oh please, that film was scientifically inaccurate, most of the dinosaurs were from the Cretaceous period. Besides there are enough problems on Earth without us deliberately surrendering our position at the top of the food chain."

John scowled at Rodney's negativity, but then his face lit up with boyish glee when he spotted a four legged, long necked creature demolishing the top of a nearby tree with its relatively tiny mouth. "This is what Earth must've been like millions of years ago. Imagine how many people would want to see this!"

"Yes, we can bring all the people we don't like here, so that they can be eaten by packs of ravenous raptors."

"But, McKay, they're _dinosaurs!_ Real living breathing ones. Wow!"

Rodney grimaced.

John brought up the HUD and switched it to scan for lifesigns. He turned to Rodney, "So what are we looking for?"

"We're just to get some data for the zoologists and palaeontologists. Ground maps and animal scans if possible, so that they know what to expect when they come back with a full team."

"Flyby recon?"

"If that's the correct piloting parlance for a mission such as this, you can call it that. I'm looking for energy readings that might signify a power source or any buildings."

"Anything?"

"No. Nothing but clusters of the largest life signs I've ever seen."

"What, you mean like that one?" John asked, pointing to the massive blob of light on the HUD.

"Yes. What is it?"

"Godzilla…" John said with awe. "Let's check it out." He eagerly pointed the Jumper towards it.

Rodney's eyes widened, "Uh, I'd rather not."

"It'll be alright, we're just going to take a closer look. You don't want to tell them you chickened out of getting as much data as possible?"

"Not really."

John grinned at him, but Rodney was still looking apprehensive.

The Jumper swooped down towards the reading, but all that was visible was what appeared to be a large dark green rock.

"I think that's it," Rodney squeaked, as the mottled green filled the windscreen.

Suddenly, the rock uncurled with a terrific speed for its size. An enormous clawed hand reached up, and John swerved the Jumper, but it was too late.

John and Rodney swayed in their seats as the ship was snagged by the monster with a loud roar that came right through the hull and set John's teeth on edge.

Rodney whimpered softly next to him. "I told you this was a bad idea," he said shakily, as the monster shook the ship about and John tried to break it free.

"It must've heard us or something, but the cloak's just broken. It's too close to fire a drone, we could be destroyed too!"

Rodney got up and stumbled into the rear compartment. "I'm going to electrify the outer hull."

"Try not to fry us too," John called out, as a green eye with a black slitted pupil the size of a car blinked through the windscreen at him.

Rodney grabbed the webbing and pulled down the crystal tray. A few seconds later he cried, "It's done. Are we free yet?"

"No. It didn't work!"

Rodney gritted his teeth and checked over his rewiring. "It should be working!"

"Well, it's not," John drawled.

There was a loud scraping, tearing sound and John was nearly shaken from his seat. "McKay!"

But there was no answer, and an ominous breeze was flowing through the interior. John glanced behind and baulked. There was a large jagged hole in right side of the ship, and, sure enough, when John checked, the right drive pod was missing. That was not the most concerning thing though – Rodney was gone. The only evidence of his passage was the torn swatch of clothing and blood on one of the protruding sharp pieces of metal that had once been the wall.

Not only had Rodney been cut, possibly seriously, but he had also fallen several metres down to the ground. And Godzilla was stomping around in rage. If being sucked past the razor sharp hull hadn't killed him, and if by some miracle, he had survived the fall, then Rodney would surely die any moment from being crushed under the rampaging clawed feet.

John thought, "Screw this." The next time sky passed by the window, he shot out one of the drones and aimed it to do a loop round to smack the creature.

There was an explosion and a roar. The Jumper rocked and then it was free. The creature ran away, its thick hide protecting it from any serious injury from the drone hit.

The Jumper flew wonkily to the ground, and John set it down in the mud at the edge of the clearing where the monster had been.

He grabbed his P90 and the life signs detector, and slung the med kit over his shoulder before opening the rear hatch. It grated against the warped hull, but opened and he dashed out to find Rodney. Or what was left of him…

The air was warm and humid and thick with strange animal sounds – just as he remembered it from before. When he planted his feet on the alien soil, they sunk a little way into the soft mud, slowing his progress. The LSD was completely useless as there were lots of tiny knee high bipedal dinosaurs running around snapping away at the insects displaced by the mayhem.

Instead, he used his eyes, but couldn't see any sign of Rodney. He saw a glint of sunlight on the torn drive pod though, and headed towards it at a jog, weaving his way around the deep footprints left by the monster.

He reached the pod – it was ripped and destroyed as he had feared. But still there was no sign of Rodney. He glanced at the LSD again and a morbid thought popped into his mind when he saw a cluster of life signs a few metres away.

He dashed over and glanced down into the sunken footprint. Sure enough, Rodney was lying there, surrounded by a pack of the tiny dinosaurs, as they lapped up the blood and gnawed away at his body.

John peppered the nearby ground with bullets and they ran away squeaking.

He jumped down into the three clawed crater and crouched next to his fallen friend where he lay supine and embedded in the soft earth, sprawled out like a squashed bug.

Rodney's nose was crushed and broken, and Blood was coming from a long laceration on his right side, which had torn a line of both cloth and skin from under his arm, right down his side and hip, and part way down his leg too. That blood was still coming from it in rivulets could indicate that Rodney was alive, but John pressed his fingers into Rodney's bloody neck to make sure. A faint pulse fluttered against his fingertips and Rodney's chest moved with a shallow, almost inaudible wheeze.

"McKay? Rodney?" John called out, unsure exactly where to pat him to try and get an answer, as every visible part of him seemed to be black and blue and red.

There was no response. John splinted and wrapped Rodney's arm where it was bent at a peculiar angle and then pulled Rodney from his precisely shaped mud-tomb to wrap his side up in bandages. "I'm sorry," he said while he worked. "You were right, we didn't really need to get so close."

Rodney's mouth hung open and a dribble of blood tracked down his chin. "Internal injuries," John said with a grimace. "Beckett's going to kill me for moving you. But I think those little yapping things would do far worse damage to you if I leave you here while I get help."

John tugged the bandages tight and secured them. He was glad for the extras that the medical kit held as he used up the last of them. Rodney had now taken on the appearance of a well wrapped mummy; except for the bright red blood spots that were already coming through them.

Rodney was too heavy for John to lift Ronon style, even with all the blood he'd lost. So he hefted Rodney up in a fireman's lift and climbed out of the footprint. His back wrenched and protested, but it was either this or leave Rodney behind to get eaten. John's back would heal, but Rodney wouldn't after he was dead.

The small dinosaurs were back, watching him cautiously. "Not your dinner today," he gasped in exertion as he staggered back to the Jumper with his precious burden.

The creatures snapped at his heels and he kicked out and stumbled as one bit the fleshy part of his calf. "Ow!"

He couldn't risk running though - pressing his shoulder into Rodney's midsection was bad enough, he didn't like to think what sort of extra damage would be created if Rodney were to be slammed against his shoulder in the run.

There was a roar in the distance, so loud that the leaves rustled and the tiny dinosaurs scattered. John swore and increased his speed. "Not good, not good," he panted.

He got to the Jumper and deposited Rodney on the floor in the cockpit and shut the rear hatch and interior bulkhead door to keep it airtight. He checked Rodney's pulse and found it was still there and Rodney's chest was just about moving as he struggled for breath.

John hastily placed an oxygen mask over Rodney's face, and rolled him over onto his side so that he didn't choke on the blood.

He sat in the pilot's chair and routed all power to the one remaining engine and flew at top speed high up into the air to avoid the returning giant monster. Rodney's breathing was laboured and loud next to him, so he knew that he still lived, but time was running out.

Luckily the gate wasn't in orbit and the left drive pod wasn't so badly damaged that it couldn't retract into the hull to allow the ship to get through the gate. John radioed ahead for a medical team, calmly informing Carson that Rodney had multiple serious injuries and needed help. He ignored the warm tickle down the back of his leg.

----------

Rodney was in surgery for hours and hours and hours. So long, that John eventually relented and got himself cleaned up and had the bite on his leg treated.

He even gave in when he was told he should stay in on a strong antibiotic for at least a few hours to make sure he hadn't picked up an infection. At least he would be close when Rodney came out. If he _ever_ came out. The silence was unnerving and Ronon and Teyla were sitting in chairs next to his bed looking as apprehensive as he felt.

"We should have gone with you," Teyla said.

John shook his head, "You didn't need to. It was only supposed to be a flying recon mission." He sighed, "I just took the Jumper too close and Rodney paid the price for my curiosity."

Ronon frowned, "How big _was_ it?"

"Godzilla? It was huge. The biggest animal I've ever seen. Might even be bigger than that whale swimming around Rodney's Jumper when we found him at the bottom of the ocean." John grimaced as his speech and thoughts went back to his friend, still lying on the operating table beyond the closed doors.

"Godzilla?" Ronon asked.

"A big _big_ dinosaur thing. There are lots of films, but I don't think I ever want to watch them again."

Teyla furrowed her brow and grasped John's hand briefly. "We understand and are also worried for Rodney. He is in good hands though and I believe that he will be fine."

John grimaced guiltily.

Sure enough, another hour later, a machinery laden bed was wheeled out into the side room, which was used as the intensive care unit to isolate the most seriously injured inhabitants of the infirmary.

There was a gentle hiss and sigh of a ventilator and numerous beeps and flashing lights. John didn't see any life other than that of the machines, if there was a man buried underneath all the paraphernalia, John wasn't sure.

Ronon disappeared for a moment as Carson came over. The Runner came back a few seconds later with a pair of crutches so that John could move at a hop to avoid tearing his stitches.

Carson sighed wearily as he glanced around at Rodney's gathered team. "He may have been tossed out of a Jumper and stomped on by a giant beastie, but Rodney's made of tougher stuff than even I thought he was. It's going to be a long, difficult and painful road for him, but, barring complications, I think he'll be alright."

John sighed and sunk down into the bed in relief while Carson reeled off a list of Rodney's injuries. John thought it would be quicker to tell them which parts of Rodney _hadn't_ been broken and bleeding when he was brought in. By the sound of it, Rodney was being held together by nothing more than metal pins, stitches and the well wishes of everyone on Atlantis.

Carson said a member of his team who specialised in plastic surgery (among other things) had done a good job on reconstructing Rodney's flattened nose based on the intricate 3D scans they had of his face on record from the Ancient Scanner. He should look as he had done before, once the swelling went down and the bandages came off.

At John's questioning gaze, Carson relented, "Aye, you can all go and see him, but only for a few minutes. He's still very weak and not quite out of the woods yet."

John approached the room with apprehension of what Rodney would look like. As he hopped up to the side of the bed and peered down at the bruised, pale and still figure lying there, he furrowed his brow at how Rodney, who always seemed to strong, now looked so fragile. Most of his face was obscured by the bandages and the breathing tube in his mouth.

The soft beep of the heart monitor nearby assured John that Rodney was still alive, but it was difficult to tell by looking at him. Teyla took Rodney's hand gently and Ronon looked on. John wasn't sure exactly what to do, so mumbled another apology and patted Rodney's shoulder with a vow that he would make it up to him with endless bowls of dinosaur tail soup when he was feeling a bit better.

Carson soon forced them out and the vigil began in earnest.


	61. Puddle Jumper Pox

_A/N – FF Net seems to have very kindly stripped out all scene breaks (the long lines) in everything I ever posted. There isn't a loud enough scream available for my reaction to that. Dashes don't seem to work either, so I've had to split this using xxxxx. If something doesn't make sense, insert a scene break. Sorry!_

_I watched some Ghost in the Shell yesterday and then this fell out… Set late Season 2._

**Puddle Jumper Pox**

The first Jumper to malfunction wasn't snagged by the autopilot on its way through the gate into Atlantis. It gave John and his team quite a nasty surprise after returning from their latest adventurous exploits at the vacant Wraith Outpost.

Luckily there was no-one on the stairs at the time and the Jumper made it safely back to the bay under John's piloting skills, but the steps and windows were going to require quite some work to fix.

xxxxx

The second Jumper to malfunction was a different one from the first.

The first one was still being repaired for the damaged undercarriage, along with the team of scientists buried knee deep in wires and code to find out what went wrong.

The second one came through the gate inverted, and didn't correct itself as the Jumpers did when they arrived back on Atlantis after coming home through a space gate with no point of reference for up and down.

Instead, it slammed into the floor and the engines died. It was a struggle to get it back up to the bay, and took the expertise of Atlantis' best pilot - Colonel John Sheppard.

xxxxx

The third Jumper to go wrong was the last straw. The rear hatch opened up while Sheppard's team was on board. It was only John's mental control slamming the central bulkhead door closed that saved his team from being sucked out of the ship.

The Jumpers were all grounded after that until whatever was causing all the problems could be isolated and fixed.

Rodney and his team worked on the ships, but John found cause to visit him many times a day to check on his progress, such was his invested interest in the ships.

"I'm a pilot. I fly things," John said. He shrugged at Rodney's annoyed look and started to drawl, "It's what I do, so get them fixed, McKay, or we'll be hiking everywhere."

"Go and make some paper aeroplanes or something if you want to fly stuff."

"And the Athosians on the mainland? Should I start commissioning navy officers to get them back? Maybe I'll ask the Daedalus to requisition some rowing boats for us?"

Rodney grimaced, "Working on it, Colonel."

As such, Rodney started spending all hours of the day and night, as he was wont to do, trying to find out what was wrong with them.

His team of dedicated scientists, only slightly less intelligent than himself (although he begged to differ) helped out, but he stayed there until late, opting to collapse on the bench of one of the Jumpers rather than wasting time to go back his quarters.

xxxxx

John prodded Rodney awake one morning with a far too bright, "Wakey wakey, rise and shine!"

Rodney groaned and rubbed his face, grimacing at the sandpaper feel across his chin and cheeks. He coughed and John waved a glass of water in front of his face enticingly. He'd put the two food laden trays he'd swiped from the mess hall on the bench opposite the one Rodney had used as an impromptu bed.

"Are we going for a picnic?" Rodney asked sleepily as he pushed himself up, swung his legs over the edge of the bench and stretched with a wide yawn.

"Only if you can get it fixed."

Rodney blinked and then his face fell, "Oh, not again."

John passed him the tray and sat opposite as he tucked into his own breakfast. He waved his spoon around at the interior of the rear compartment. "Is it safe sleeping in here? Aren't you worried it'll go wrong and seal you in and suck the air out or something?"

Rodney scowled, "I thought _I _was pessimistic…"

John smiled. "Safety first."

Rodney found John's good mood only succeeded in pushing his own miserable gloom to new depths.

Rodney spoke through a mouthful of cereal, "I pulled all the power crystals out of all but one of them until I can figure out what's wrong with them. We don't want them flying themselves and shooting drones out to destroy Atlantis and kill us all."

John grinned, "There's that never faltering optimism I love so much!"

Rodney frowned and retrieved his tablet from where it had slipped out of his unconscious grasp the night before (or very early that morning). He rebooted it and said, "It's a virus. I can't trace the origin, but I have a suspect in mind. How they managed to get it uploaded to the operating system of the first ship I don't know, but it's now spread to all the others."

"Like the flu?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and snapped, "Yes, Puddle Jumper flu. That's a good one. But I can't tell them to take this remedy and that remedy and drink plenty of water until it goes away now, can I?"

John's far too cheery expression faltered a little. "Isn't that what your computer's for?"

"Sure, but it takes time to find the pieces of code that have been corrupted. And it'll take even longer to reset them. Even when we do that, we always find that some other part has been corrupted. We can't do it quickly enough to fix them."

John smirked, "Turn it off and turn it back on?"

"Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. Whatever's in there has written over the base code and we don't have a reboot disk. When they come back on after a reboot, it can take a few hours, but they always revert to the corrupted state as before."

"A reboot disk? So if we can find a Jumper with an uncorrupted operating system you'll be able to fix it?"

"Yes." Rodney peered around John as though hoping he had something behind his back.

"No, I don't have one lying around, Rodney."

Rodney's face fell and he mumbled, "Well if you have any more bright ideas, I'll be up here from dawn until past dusk."

John stood up and patted Rodney's shoulder over his distinctly creased uniform. "I know." He grabbed the trays and left Rodney to it.

Rodney sighed and scrubbed his face. A shower and a shave were in order along with a nice clean uniform. Perhaps the brief interlude would give him an idea that endlessly staring at lines of code in frustration had not been providing.

xxxxx

"On three," Rodney called out to the team of six other scientists in the Jumper Bay. "One, two, _three!"_

Numerous keystroke sounds filled the bay like raindrops pounding against a window pane. Every pair of eyes was locked onto a screen and fingers blurred over keys.

The typing gradually slowed and then petered out altogether.

Radek was the first to speak, "Well? Did it work?"

Rodney stared at his own screen intensely and held up a finger to the pensive faces. His team was gathered around just outside the rear hatch of the only active jumper. The leads from their computers trailed into the rear compartment and plugged into the lit crystal tray hanging from the ceiling.

The result was clear before Rodney said a word. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. "No."

There was a collective murmur of disappointment around him as he continued, "We're just not fast enough to overtype the code before it comes back. It must be hiding in a redundant file somewhere, because it comes back like we never even tried."

Radek pushed up his glasses and shook his head.

Another scientist raised her hand.

Rodney scowled, "This isn't school, Crockett. What?"

She deflated, "My name's Dr Charlton"

"Whatever."

She frowned, "What about wiping the whole thing and starting from scratch?"

Rodney widened his eyes in mock realisation. "Now why didn't I think of that? That was the first idea I had, but it's more of a last resort than anything else. Unless you want to spend the next few years trying to figure out how to programme a neural interface?"

She shook her head and Radek sighed and finally spoke what they were all thinking. "We have tried everything. There is no other way."

Rodney gritted his teeth and stood up. "If only we had a Jumper free from the virus to somehow copy and paste the operating system."

Radek said, "What about the planet with the duplicate Atlantis?"

"Sheppard already tried. The Jumper's there have it too."

Radek frowned, "How could they have become infected? They were nowhere near ours."

Rodney scrubbed his face and walked around the wires into the rear compartment and glanced up at the crystal tray pensively. "I don't know. Maybe it was on a timed delay or something. We could be fighting something that was inevitable and planted in them thousands of years ago."

Radek typed for a few minutes and his frown deepened. Another male scientist was typing and his expression soon mirrored Radek's.

"It did not infect all the Jumpers simultaneously," Radek revealed.

Rodney's eyes suddenly widened. "Hold on. I think I know what it is!"

He walked towards the rear hatch to get out, but the lights in the Jumper flickered. He felt a puff of air on his face and then an audible sucking sound as the breathable atmosphere was pulled from the interior. There was still air coming through the rear hatch, but the door started to rise while he was still in the rear compartment.

"Rodney, get out of there!" Radek cried.

Rodney's team of loyal scientists helped. Some physically held the door down while others worked on their tablets. But they were neither strong enough nor fast enough. Rodney pushed against the door as it rose to meet him and managed to squeeze himself partially out of the door before it closed on him with a sickening crunch. His scream was cut off when he lost the ability to breathe properly.

His body stopped the mechanism from going any further and cutting him in half, but it had his right arm pinned down against his chest as it crushed the life out of him millimetre by agonizing millimetre. His head, left arm and leg were outside, but hung down limply. Most of the pressure was on his right arm and chest where he was wedged and being squeezed in the closing hatch.

Rodney whimpered harshly and screwed up his face in pain – luckily his head was outside the ship too, but that wouldn't save him if the rest of his body was broken beyond repair.

Radek stood shocked for a moment along with all the others before he was galvanised into action. "Medical emergency in the Jumper Bay," he announced into his radio in a shaky voice. "Hang on, Rodney, and we'll get you free."

He turned to the others, "Quickly, all of you, get that hatch open."

Rodney gasped in a small breath and released a quiet moan. His free hand bunched into a tight, white fist, but then uncurled and visibly shook. He coughed and blood splattered on his chin and the edge of the hatch near to his face. His eyes slowly slid shut, but the door held him in place.

"Where is the medical team?" Radek asked, as his eyes widened in worry and he continued to type as fast as he could.

The scientists had Rodney free before the medical team arrived. Radek caught him before he fell, and laid him down gently, grimacing at how Rodney's right arm was twisted horribly out of shape out to one side. He didn't dare to move Rodney after he was down through fear of injuring him further. There was a worrying amount of blood seeping through Rodney's uniform too.

"Radek?" Rodney whispered. His face was frighteningly pale and etched in lines of pain.

"It is alright, Rodney," Radek said as he grasped the limp hand connected to Rodney's unhurt arm.

The others were looking on with equal concern and helplessness.

"Radek, the key is in Sheppard. It's him. You have to…"

Rodney's eyes fluttered shut as the medical team led by Carson finally arrived, swooped down and took him away.

There was blood on the edge of the hatch that was now fully open again. Quite an alarming amount of Rodney's red life-force ran down the evil door in a thick gooey syrup and dripped to the floor. Radek grimaced and rounded up the others, "Alright, back to the lab. The bay's off limits until we can analyse all this data and find out what went wrong."

"Actually," John Sheppard said, from where he had entered the bay unseen. His face was almost as pale as Rodney's had been. "I'm ordering a full investigation into this accident. Everyone but Dr Zelenka is to report to Dr Weir with exactly what happened and then you can choose what you want to do for the rest of the day."

"And myself?" Radek asked.

"Come with me."

Radek followed John, feeling slightly worried for his own safety. What had Rodney meant about the key being in Sheppard? Was the Colonel dangerous? Was he going to suddenly turn and attack?

Radek's fears were allayed when he saw that he was being led to the infirmary.

"Rodney?"

John slowed his pace and allowed Radek to draw alongside as they entered the infirmary. "I don't know."

A female nurse with a kind expression approached them and John asked, "How's Rodney?"

"He's in surgery at the moment. We'll know more when Carson is finished."

John sighed and then turned to Radek. "I want you to scan me."

Radek frowned, "What? I do not understand."

"Scan me. Didn't Rodney say that the key was _in_ me?" John went over to the scanner and lay down on the bed under the nurse's confused gaze.

Radek sighed and pushed up his glasses. He shared a look of confusion with the nurse and activated the machine. He grabbed a nearby tablet and studied the data. "What am I looking for exactly?"

"Anything out of the ordinary."

"But I am not a doctor of medicine. Half of this information is out of the ordinary to me."

"Alright then," John said, as the light reached the tips of his toes and began a second pass up his body. "Anything _familiar_ then?"

"No… I… Oh." Radek started to type on the screen. "Hmm."

"There is an unusual reading here. I do not mean to offend, but it appears to be Wraith in origin."

John grimaced and sat up once the light had finished scanning him. "A Puddle Jumper malfunction with self protecting properties? Unusual anomalies and the ability to learn? Sounds worryingly familiar to me. Also, these Jumpers _do_ have something in common. One thing that was so obvious we should've seen it straight away."

Radek sighed, "You have flown them all and interfaced with every neural link. The virus is in you, but it only works on Puddle Jumpers so you have no symptoms."

"Well it looks like the Wraith were about to get one over the Ancients after all. This all started after we returned from that abandoned outpost a couple of weeks ago. I'll send a message to Caldwell to nuke it from orbit so they don't find it and use it against us."

Radek nodded and his eyes strayed to the door to the isolation room where Rodney was under the knife.

"Any ideas how to get it out?" John asked, following Radek's line of sight with his face twisted with worry.

"None yet, but I will work doubly hard with the others to find a way. Rodney knew this, it is the least we can do while we wait for any news."

John nodded. "I'll stay here and try not to think about Puddle Jumpers too hard."

Radek nodded and left with the tablet containing the valuable data he had collected.

xxxxx

It was a few hours before Rodney was freed from Carson's surgery. His right arm was well wrapped up and splinted and Carson told John, who was now accompanied by Ronon and Teyla, that Rodney had very serious internal injuries and multiple open fractures.

"Blasted thing nearly crushed him to death. A few seconds longer and a wee bit more pressure and he'd have been killed outright."

John grimaced and they went over to look down at Rodney's well bandaged and intubated form while machines breathed for him and fluids kept him under.

Carson soon pushed them out and John wandered over to the science labs to see if there was a cure for his virus yet. He'd hate to never be able to fly or go near the ships again. They weren't planes, but he had still developed a fondness for them that he would never feel for the aircraft of Earth. The neural interface gave him a special bond with each one. The ships moved with his thoughts, they almost became a extension of his body as he merged his thoughts with them and controlled their movements by the power of his mind alone.

He paused and grimaced before muttering, "I caught a Puddle Jumper STD? Ugh, there aren't any cures strong enough to live that one down!"

He found Rodney's team were hard at work despite John telling them they could do what they liked with the rest of the day. But in a way, by helping John, they were also helping Rodney, and it was all they could do after the accident.

Radek approached him. "We think we have found a way to cure your… Puddle Pox."

John frowned and a woman nearby grinned.

Radek was looking decidedly sheepish.

"No naming things," John said loudly. "Ever."

Radek sighed. "A targeted dose of radiation from a device we found in the database should cure it. There is one on Atlantis."

"Radiation?"

"Yes, we have found that the device can be calibrated to specifically target this particular virus. It is useless on the machines directly, and most other viruses that exist, but you should be Pox free in no time."

"And the Jumpers?"

Radek let the woman, Dr Charlton, take over. "Without the constant reinforcement and reintroduction of the virus from the source, we should be able to successfully write over the faulty code and have them back to normal."

"Alright, lead the way," John said to Radek.

To his surprise, John was led to the infirmary where the device, which looked just like the medical scanner, was already set up. "More control here," Radek said by way of explanation as to where they were. "Just lie back and relax."

At least John was near to Rodney if things took a turn for the worse. Carson couldn't shove him out if he was a patient himself - perhaps in a more _technological _way, but ill all the same.

A few hours later, and with many colourful curses in a language John didn't understand, Radek called out in triumph, "Ah-ha! You are now Pox free. I will go and check on the Jumpers in a few days, but hopefully they will start to work with our efforts now. With the virus isolated, we will check to make sure no other people on Atlantis have it and then work on a suitable anti-virus in case it shows up again."

John sat up slowly and patted himself down. "I don't _feel_ any different."

Radek grinned, "But now you should be able to fly the right way up, yes?"

John sighed and then glanced over at the door to the isolation room which was now doubling as Rodney's intensive care unit. "I'm not a risk to him am I?"

"No. Only Jumpers."

"Okay, thanks Radek."

xxxxx

A few weeks later and John found Rodney sitting on the bench in the rear compartment of a Puddle Jumper up in the bay. John had brought dinner. The food on Rodney's tray was already neatly cut into tiny bite-sized chunks so that he could eat it with his one working arm.

Rodney right arm was now in a full cast across his chest in a bulky sling. His breathing was better and his colour was finally returning, but he wasn't a hundred percent and most movements still visibly hurt him.

"Hey, McKay. What are you doing up here?"

"Hmm, oh, not a lot. Just making sure you're not giving our Jumpers any other nasty things you might've picked up from somewhere."

John grimaced. "And?"

"No, all clear. My plan worked."

John placed the second tray down on the bench next to Rodney, avoiding his lap in case he accidentally pushed it into Rodney's still sore belly. John raised his eyebrows, _"Your _plan?"

"Sure. I might have been unconscious, but essentially I told Radek what to do."

"I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear that."

"I know."

Rodney picked at his food and got a few bites down, while John wolfed through his and was soon done.

"Going somewhere?" Rodney asked.

"No. But I'm hungry. You have to hurry up and get better because both Ronon and Teyla are putting in extra sparring sessions while you're out of commission and the team's on stand-down. I don't think there's a part of me not bruised in some way."

Rodney looked sad and John quickly added, "Sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Well," Rodney cut him off, "Carson says the cast can come off soon and I should be up and about and much better a few weeks after that. Although it feels like I'll never get better."

John watched Rodney slowly munch his way through a few more mouthfuls and then glanced around the ship. "What are you doing up here anyway, Rodney?"

"Hmm, oh, well it helps me to relax with the slight hum of the Jumper nearby and I didn't want to develop a Jumper phobia after that little incident."

John glanced down at the rear hatch a few metres away. "Is that why you've wedged a control panel between the door and the hull?"

"Safety first," Rodney said with a small smile as he poked his steak laden fork in John's direction.


	62. The Big Clingy Thingy

_A/N: Written for the **Spook_Me** challenge on LiveJournal. Prompt was 'monster from space.' Set after Season 5's 'The Seed.'_  
_Summary: Just a bit of space recon in a Puddle Jumper. Because nothing ever goes wrong on a mission like that..._

**The Big Clingy Thingy**

The Jumper zoomed out of the gate and into the dark void of space.

"So what's out here?" Ronon asked.

John brought up the HUD. "Nothing."

"Then why are we here?" Teyla asked, her expression tight.

Three pairs of eyes fell upon the fourth person on board the tiny craft. It took Rodney a few seconds to notice them all staring at him and he snapped, "We're a recon team." He flapped his hand at the viewscreen, "We're doing our thing."

John drawled incredulously, "In empty space?"

"Just because _you_ can't see anything, doesn't mean it's empty."

John said, "Well, you have fun analysing space dust."

Ronon had his gun in his lap and was fiddling with a loose piece of Wraith hair on the handle. He said, "Why's there a gate anyway?"

Rodney scowled, "That's what we're here to find out."

xxxxxxxxxx

Two hours passed.

Two long, boring hours. Ronon had secured the hair on his gun a long time ago and was dozing off in his chair. Teyla also had her eyes closed in meditation. John was staring into space. Literally.

"Ah ha!" Rodney cried.

Ronon drew his gun and aimed it at Rodney. John jumped and Teyla's eyes opened in surprise. The whine of the weapon charging drew Rodney's attention and he squeaked in fright. He calmed himself before he spoke in a slow voice, "I mean: 'ah ha, here's something worthwhile.'"

Ronon slowly lowered the gun and placed it back in its holster looking disappointed. He slouched in his seat again. How it was possible for such a tall man to slouch in a tiny seat was beyond Rodney, but somehow he managed it.

John brought up the HUD and smiled. "Is that a ship?"

Rodney huffed, "Can't tell yet. Get us closer."

Teyla frowned. "What else could it be?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, "Many things: a spatial anomaly, space station, debris field, dog milk asteroid…"

Ronon asked, "What's a dog?"

John gave Rodney a strange look and shook his head. "We're coming up to it now. Any ideas, McKay?"

He was reading through the text on his screen. "Rule out all of the above. It appears to be comprised of organic matter. In a very loose sense of the definition."

Teyla's eyes widened, "An animal?"

"Probably more like a plant, and nothing we've ever encountered before, but quite possibly. Its surface is dark to absorb the most light and it probably feeds on the hydrogen in space."

John's smile broadened, "Cool." He turned off the HUD as the creature was unmistakably visible now with the naked eye. It was oval in shape and massive, at least as big as the Daedalus. But thus far it was just a big blob, with no defining features or external markings.

Rodney said, "Turn on the lights. Let's get a better look at Nessie."

"Alright, but no naming things until we know what it is."

Rodney sighed as the Jumper's headlights came on and illuminated the creature far better than distant starlight. It had a slight purple tinge and its surface was actually quite bumpy.

Before John could fly the Jumper out of the way, the surface of the animal opened and it scooted towards them.

Rodney nearly fell out of his chair in fright and shouted, "Get away from it!"

"I'm trying," John said through gritted teeth.

But the Jumper wasn't fast enough to outrun the mouth of the giant blob. Nor the 'arms' that erupted from its surface with suckers that latched onto the Jumper.

Rodney cried, "I'm attempting to run an electric charge through the hull to make it let go!"

"Hurry," Ronon grunted as the creature's gooey insides filled the window.

"Ew," John said.

"It's not working!" Rodney said.

Ronon frowned, "Can't you just shoot it?"

Teyla looked horrified.

John shook his head, "We're too close. Without shields, we could be destroyed too."

Teyla said, "Perhaps it would be best to see what it does when it realises we are… indigestible."

"Wonder what it eats normally," Ronon said.

The Jumper went inside the creature and John cut the engines as soon as the 'mouth' closed behind them. The suckers were still attached and moved the Jumper down to land on the surface inside the creature's mouth. Red and purple tendrils swarmed over the ship and jolted it.

"What's it doing now?" John asked.

Rodney typed frantically and a fine sheen of perspiration was on his brow. "These readings make no sense. I'm detecting a viable atmosphere and gravity outside the Jumper. No toxins and a steady twenty five degrees. It's also light enough to see."

Teyla asked, "We can go outside?"

John nodded as a red membrane covered the windscreen. "Could we cloak and cut the ship free?"

Rodney nodded, "That should work, but yuck. Have fun with that."

Ronon grabbed the back of Rodney's tac vest and dragged him out of his seat to join the others. "You're coming too."

They went to the rear compartment and armed themselves. Rodney had the hand scanner out and was staring at it, wide eyed and fearful. "What if its mouth opens?"

Ronon replied, "What if it starts digesting our ship?"

Rodney gulped. "It might sneeze!"

Ronon propelled Rodney towards the opening hatch. "Wouldn't be the first thing allergic to you, McKay."

John and Teyla led the way out of the now-cloaked ship and onto the spongy smooth surface of the monster's mouth. Ronon drew his sword and started hacking away at the flesh coating the ship, while Rodney took some readings and Teyla and John looked around in awe.

"It's a ship." John said as he gazed up at the high ceiling.

"A living ship," Teyla agreed.

"Clearly," Rodney muttered, without looking up from his scanner. "A nice, big, _Wraith_ ship."

John and Teyla drew their guns and Ronon jabbed his sword in the squishy floor and aimed his blaster at… nothing.

Rodney was still looking at the scanner nonchalantly. He waved them off, "An _empty_ Wraith ship. Probably escaped when they were growing it."

Ronon went back to chopping away merrily and Teyla and John joined him. Rodney therefore didn't notice the thin tendril that had sprouted from the floor behind him. A least until it poked him in the back. He jumped forwards with a cry and spun around. "Hey!"

He watched as the tendril end formed into a point. He didn't get his gun up in time as it came at him again and knocked him over, impaling him through the abdomen and attaching him to the ground. He cried out in pain and surprise as more tendrils swarmed over him, grabbing his limbs and holding him securely in a snug cocoon.

He only had time to shout, "Help! It's eating me!" before another tendril stabbed him in the back and the sharp end shot out the front of his chest where he was lying on his back. He watched his blood fly upwards in front of the tendril and he used his remaining breath the struggle and scream in horror.

xxxxxxxxxx

_Rodney McKay…_

"Huh?"

_Can you hear me, Rodney?_

Rodney coughed and opened his eyes. But all was dark. He moved his hands up and patted down his chest, stomach and sides, but there were no injuries and he felt no pain.

_This might be better._

Light appeared, but he was standing in a white void. "Where am I? Where's the rest of my team?"

_They are fine. You're asleep._

Rodney pinched his arm and winced. He remained where he was and mumbled, "Never thought that would work anyway…"

_You have given me sentience where there was nothing before._

"You're the Wraith ship?" Rodney's eyes widened as he elaborated, "Like the Wraith themselves, we hypothesized that their ships are telepathic to an extent. Like the Ancient systems reacting to the gene, but more potent as the ships are partially organic."

_You are correct._

"Obviously." Rodney winced. "The last thing I remember was being stabbed and suffocated. Am I dead?"

_No. You are in stasis._

"Oh. Then the Wraith dream during hibernation. Hmm. Will you let us go?"

_Yes. Your ship has nothing I can use. Although your bodies would be useful for their organic compenents…_

Rodney grimaced and wrapped his arms around himself.

_…I don't need them to function properly. This is my gift to you. Thank you._

The white light around Rodney dissipated to black once more and he passed from the dreamworld back to the nightmare of reality. He screamed as the tendrils withdrew and he gulped in a massive, shuddering breath. His team was around him, shooting and cutting the retreating arms in vain.

"Rodney!" Teyla cried as they rolled him onto his side in the soft material he was lying on and pressed field bandages against his wounds.

"It's letting us go," Rodney gasped and coughed as blood came up his throat.

_"It?"_ Ronon asked.

John turned and saw that the membranes and tendrils holding the Jumper were unravelling from the invisible vessel.

"The Wraith ship. Said… we could go…"

Together they carried Rodney back to the Jumper and laid him down on the floor in the rear compartment. His face was pale and he grimaced as he ground out, "Sit up. Breathe."

He coughed out more blood as Ronon and Teyla helped him sit, while John powered up the Jumper and flew the craft out of the opening gap in the creature's mouth.

When the Jumper exited, they were right next to the gate. "That was fast," John said to himself and then called out behind, "Hang on, Rodney. We're nearly there."

"Home sweet home," Rodney said in a tight voice.

John dialled the gate and sent through his IDC, calling for a med team to meet them.

xxxxxxxxxx

Rodney was in surgery for many hours while Keller and her team repaired the damage inflicted on him. The second tendril had only narrowly missed his heart, just a few centimetres to the left and he wouldn't have made it at all. As it was, his lung was punctured, along with several other vital internal organs pierced by the first tendril.

"It's going to take him a while to get better," Jennifer said to Rodney's gathered team as she left the intensive care room. "But with excellent care and barring any complications, he should make a good recovery."

xxxxxxxxx

A few weeks later, Rodney was sitting in the Mess Hall, grimacing down at his full plate of food, like it was a scary monster.

John, Ronon and Teyla joined him with their own trays. John pointed his fork at Rodney's tray before skewering and devouring a piece of Pegasus fish variant. "Are you going to eat that?"

Rodney picked up his fork and jabbed the meat and nibbled a little with a wince.

Ronon had already nearly finished and was now eyeing Rodney's food with intent.

John said, "Careful."

Rodney pushed the tray away. "I'm not hungry anyway."

Teyla smiled at him kindly, "Dr Keller says you can eat again. Take your time."

"After being half eaten by Nessie, I'm not sure I want to eat again."

John grinned, "I thought we'd agreed no naming things. Besides, from what you said happened, it was more like Lassie."

"Hmm, yes," Rodney shoved a forkful of food in his mouth and spoke through it, "That's original. Our friendly Wraith Hive. Maybe we can ask it to go eat its friends for us. Complete with their parasites."

John's smirk broadened. "Nasty white haired parasites crawling around inside them? Sounds good to me."

"But the Daedalus was unable to find the creature," Teyla said.

"They'll keep looking," Ronon added.

Rodney was still eating, gaining confidence from his team around him. "Shame the co-ordinates it implanted in my mind for its spawning ground were a dead end."

Teyla looked away. "It must have been drifting in space for hundreds, possibly even thousands of years."

Ronon frowned, "Maybe it'll come to us."

Rodney stopped eating and shuddered.

_The End…?_

_A/N – The dog milk asteroid is a Red Dwarf reference. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!_


	63. Incoming!

_A/N: I was rummaging around on my hard drive earlier today and found this (and a few other bits and pieces). Written in October, just prior to NanoWrimo. Only not posted then because I ran out of time to edit it. Shameless Rodney whumping as usual._**  
****  
Incoming!**

"Unscheduled offworld activation!" Chuck announced to the gate room as the lights on the gate spun. The shield automatically rose as the wormhole formed.

Elizabeth arrived from her office, but before she could ask, Chuck said, "Receiving Colonel Sheppard's IDC."

The man himself spoke over the radio, slightly breathless and fast, "Sheppard to Atlantis. We're coming in hot with Wraith darts on our tails. Raise the shield the moment we're through.

"Acknowledged," Weir said as she turned to Chuck. "Lower the shield."

"Yes Ma'am."

The moment the shield disappeared a blast of blue energy flew through the wormhole and exploded against the stairs. Luckily no one had been standing there, but everyone flinched.

Sheppard came through first, followed in rapid succession by Teyla, Rodney and finally Ronon. They were a ruffled and gasping for breath, but otherwise uninjured.

"Raise the shield," Weir said.

Chuck pressed the control, but nothing happened. He tried it again and then shot a bewildered look at Weir. "It's not working."

Rodney huffed a big sigh, and while the rest of his team stood to the side of the gate, he dashed across the gate room and started up the stairs. When he was half way up, a dart came through the gate. The Ancient systems didn't snag it like they did the Puddle Jumpers and it kept going at a terrifying lick. What happened next was so fast, there was no way Rodney could've avoided it. As alarms blared, Rodney didn't even have time to turn around before the Wraith ship struck him a glancing blow. It wasn't the sharp point that skewered him, had it been the rest of his life would've been cut very short. The ship dragged up the stairs, knocking Rodney aside and then smashed through the window.

"Raise the shield!" Weir shouted above the noise of gunfire and yelling.

"Medical teams to the gate room," John said into his radio as he ran over to where Ronon had caught the falling Rodney.

Two more darts came through the wormhole and followed the path of the other one which had now circled back and was making a run at the central tower. All soldiers in the gate room shot at them as they flew through, but their bullets didn't hinder the ships.

Rodney coughed blood and grimaced in pain as he shoved himself out of Ronon's arms and staggered upright. His left arm hung uselessly by his side and there was a bloody friction burn across his back that the tac vest had not prevented.

"Help me to the… control room."

John frowned, "You should go to the infirmary."

Rodney gave him a scowl. "There won't be… infirmary left… if I don't."

Ronon took Rodney's good arm and together they went up the remainder of the staircase, only just reaching the top as a fourth dart came through.

Weir called down to Sheppard, "Get to the chair room and destroy those darts."

Chuck shook his head as he vacated his seat and pulled it out as Ronon deposited Rodney into it. Rodney said, "The system's detected the Wraith darts and has shut down the transporters."

The room shook as the first dart fired energy against the tower close to the control room. Consoles exploded with dramatic sparks and bangs.

Rodney wheezed in fright and shut his eyes tightly as more blood dribbled down his chin. "Focus focus," he mumbled. His limp arm was curled in his lap at a peculiar angle and Ronon stood nearby with his blaster drawn and ready. Rodney tapped at the computer one-handedly and then activated the radio, "McKay to Radek."

"We're monitoring the situation," Radek replied instantly. "We have already begun work to purge the Wraith virus infecting the stargate and shield systems."

"Way ahead of you," Rodney muttered and coughed wetly as his body tipped towards the console.

Ronon only just caught him in time and helped him back into his chair. "Shut down the gate, McKay."

Rodney worked while Sheppard and Teyla made their way up to the Jumper Bay and took one of the ships out to attack the darts before too much damage was done.

"Suicide," Rodney whispered. "One Jumper against four darts."

"He'll be alright," Ronon said, now resting a hand on Rodney's good shoulder as he worked.

Radek spoke through the open channel, "The program is ready, but we need you to upload it."

Rodney blinked slowly, "Receiving… and transferred."

Everyone in the room seemed to take a deep breath and hold it as all eyes turned to the gate and open invitation to any darts on the planet. The people on Atlantis feared what might come through at any moment to assail them, whether more darts or soldiers.

The shield rose first and there were two loud whumphs before the gate itself shut down. "Remove the control crystal until we can run a full diagnostic," Rodney gasped to Chuck.

"Colonel Sheppard's in trouble," Elizabeth said as she watched the battle over Atlantis on the sensors.

Rodney nodded and turned to Ronon, "Help me up."

"Infimary, McKay." Ronon said again.

"Am I completely inaudible because I'm injured? Did I not already say the transporters aren't working? They won't work until the Wraith are all gone."

"I'm the only one with access to the Jumpers with enough time to help out Sheppard."

Ronon nodded and Weir pursed her lips. Blood shone through the gory mess on Rodney's back and he still hadn't moved his left arm.

"I can't ask you to go, Rodney," Elizabeth said quietly.

"But if I don't Atlantis will be badly damaged. More so than it is already. Oh look, the darts have decided to do some work on the South Pier, how kind and considerate of them!"

Sheppard's craft took another hit and veered off to one side. There were only three darts left, but they had the upper hand by sheer numbers.

"There are pilots on their way, but they're using the stairs."

"There isn't time!"

Elizabeth nodded and then turned away as Ronon helped Rodney up and they started their bizarre three-legged race to the Jumper Bay.

"Can you make it?" Ronon asked after Rodney was sitting in the pilot's seat and he ran into the rear compartment to grab the med kit.

"I have to or Sheppard and Teyla are dead and we're next."

Ronon nodded, "Better not pass out and crash us into the sea."

Rodney shuddered, but not due to his injuries this time. "Don't worry, if I feel that bad, I'll make sure I aim for Atlantis."

"That's reassuring," Ronon said as he made his way back and sat in the co-pilot's chair.

"Why are you still following me?"

"Teyla went with Sheppard, I'll go with you."

"What are you going to do? Shoot them down out the rear hatch?"

"Something like that."

Rodney piloted the ship up and out of the Jumper Bay into the tranquil blue sky, or perhaps not so tranquil today, as bolts of energy impacted the Jumper John was flying a short way out over the ocean.

Ronon moved Rodney forwards and laid a large burn bandage over his back. Rodney gritted his teeth and grunted, pitching the Jumper into a nosedive by willpower alone.

He only just righted it and ground out, "Way to go! If you want a watery grave, keep that up."

"Just trying to help," Ronon growled back.

"Well, unless you can shoot drones and fly the ship at the same time, I don't need your help!"

Two darts had broken off and Rodney and Ronon watched them on the HUD. They came within firing distance and Rodney blinked sleepily as he slumped onto the console and the Jumper plummeted and splashed into the water.

The darts shot at the white waters, but the energy dissipated in the water and the Jumper sunk without damage.

"McKay!" Ronon called out.

Rodney sat back in the seat and gave Ronon a delirious and unnerving smile, "Did it work?"

"What?"

"The quite clearly intentional crash into the water?"

"Sure."

Rodney's deranged smile went lopsided as he powered up the systems and flew the Jumper under the water to track the darts. As one came close, he guided the Jumper up through the depths and made the craft breach the surface just in time to fire out a drone which hit home before the dart could react. It exploded in a satisfying cloud of orange debris and Rodney sighed.

John had also taken care of the one dart that had been trying to finish him off. A single dart remained and it was now heading back to John and Teyla's Jumper as John struggled to keep it airborne.

"I'm out of drones," John said over the radio. "I'll guide it to you if you shoot it down as we go past."

Rodney nodded, but his eyes were glazed and more fresh blood was coming from his mouth and his face was turning blue.

Ronon spoke in lieu of Rodney, "McKay says that's fine."

"Okaay," John drawled. "How's he doing?"

Rodney coughed and blood splattered on the console. A little colour returned to his pale face as it lost some of its unhealthy tinge. "He's… right… here…"

"Glad to hear it. Here we come, be ready."

Rodney's face twisted in grim concentration and he launched the drone.

"Too early!" John called over the radio.

But Rodney was able to guide the weapon on a collision course with the approaching dart. He wove the drone around John's Jumper as it zoomed past and smashed it into the hull of the dart. Unlike with bullets, the drone tore through the ship and it crashed into the ocean, no more than scraps and fragments of the danger it had once posed.

Rodney laughed without humour and closed his eyes. The Jumper lost power again.

Just before the ship hit the ocean, Rodney jerked awake and the ship stopped at a hover. "Huh, what? Where am I?"

Ronon was regarding him sternly, weighing him up with his piercing eyes.

Rodney glanced at him, feeling his heart pounding as though fit to burst out from his chest, and then looked down at the needle in Ronon's hand. "What's that?"

"Adrenaline."

"Oh, uh, thanks."

Rodney flew the ship back under John's guidance and prodding. It landed heavily in the Jumper Bay where the med team were already waiting now that the transporters were back online.

"It's alright, Rodney." Ronon said. "You can sleep now."

McKay grinned back at him, "Called me Rodney." And then passed out on the already blood stained console before him as the med team swarmed in.

xxxxxxxxxx

Rodney slept for several days on Ronon's command. Only coming round when Radek was sitting with him looking awkward.

Blue eyes cracked open to the world and peered across at the Czech scientist. Radek jumped when he looked down to find his friend blinking back at him sleepily. "Rodney!"

"What happened?" Rodney croaked.

"You went dart hunting."

"And lost?"

Radek shook his head, "No, you won."

Rodney tipped his head back into the pillow and shut his eyes, "If this is winning…"

Carson came over and checked the readings on the monitors, then the cast wrapped around Rodney's left arm from the middle of his upper arm all the way to his wrist. Rodney watched him with disinterest to start with, but as he took in more of himself and the bandages wrapped around his chest, his eyes gradually widened, "What happened to me?"

Carson paused and looked down on him compassionately. "You had a fight with a Wraith dart."

"Looks like I definitely lost that one."

"Apparently not."

"That's what Radek said. Doesn't feel like winning."

Carson topped up his painkillers and said, "You broke some ribs that punctured a lung. Your left arm was broken in three places and there was a burn on your back that gave us a fright. I don't know how you flew a bloody Jumper in your condition, much less shot down two darts and got the thing back here safely."

Radek smirked at Carson, "Especially when you have trouble flying the Jumper out of the Bay on a normal day."

Carson shot him a less than complimentary expression, but his voice remained calm, "Aye."

John, Teyla and Ronon came into the infirmary and headed over to Rodney's bed. Radek smiled at Rodney, "I am glad you are feeling better."

Radek was about to leave, but John stopped him, "Hey, Radek. Have you told McKay about your heroics yet?"

Radek looked away and blushed so hard that Rodney smirked.

Teyla continued, "About how you outwitted the Wraith commander who had created the virus and purged the system before he reprogrammed the whole city?"

Rodney was looking put out now. "You did that? I thought it was a just a program."

"No, it was a real time interaction similar to a hacker, but a Wraith. Their normal method of implanting a slow to act program would not have worked in this instance as they needed the shield to malfunction immediately."

"And you've blocked out further attacks? Created a closed system for any data transmissions through the stargate? Made sure…"

"Yes," Radek cut in. "I am your second in command am I not?"

The rest of Rodney's team were smiling at the exchange and he looked at them in confusion.

Rodney turned the slightly hurt expression back to Radek as Radek said, "Do not worry, Rodney. I will keep Atlantis safe while you are recovering."

Rodney sighed in relief and then winced as his ribs protested. He shifted his head back so that he sunk down into the pillow a short way.

The others remained for a few minutes, but soon it was only John sitting with Rodney. "Thanks for flying out there," John said without meeting Rodney's eyes.

"As I remember it, it was more a case of crashing into the ocean and taking pot shots at the pointy purple flying things."

"Pots shots that hit the targets."

Rodney shrugged and grimaced as he jostled his arm lying beside him. "Well I am a genius, concentration even when mortally wounded comes with the package."

"You're still alive though."

Rodney rolled his eyes and then closed them.

John sat back and continued the vigil. Just when he thought Rodney had fallen asleep, a tiny voice said, "I've got an itchy elbow…"

John smiled and said, "Get some sleep, McKay."


	64. Squadron

**Title** - Squadron  
**Rating** - PG  
**Characters** - Rodney and John with Teyla, Ronon and Carson.  
**Words** - 3713  
**Summary**- Sheppard and his team find some new Ancient ships and take them out for a spin. Gen with Rodney h/c.

**A/N**- OMG I wrote something...

**Squadron**

Swift and true, the Puddle Jumper cut through the air at such a speed that it was nothing more than a radiant blur. The drive pods hummed happily as they propelled the ship forwards with precision and finesse.

Something green and gooey splattered against the windscreen.

"Ew! What is that?" Rodney cried with a disgusted grimace.

"Looks like yesterday's lunch," Ronon replied from behind him with a feral smirk.

Rodney's shudder was nearly enough to rattle his chair but it was too well screwed into the floor.

"It's a swamp planet, McKay," Sheppard drawled. "You saw it from orbit."

"I know, but it's still gross. Why do the Ancient's have to choose some literal backwater of a planet for their secret outpost?"

Sheppard's eyebrows rose. "So secret it was in the database?"

Rodney scowled down at his computer. "You know what I mean. An address, no details."

"Sounds like they pointed the way here," Ronon said.

Rodney looked fit to explode but settled for a sigh and jabbed the screen of his computer harder than was strictly necessary.

Teyla rolled her eyes at the three men and went back to looking out the front window at the grey, rainy world they were flying over.

After a few minutes, Rodney smiled. "There's a structure ahead."

The HUD came up and rotated, then zoomed in to show a large building on top of a cliff. The cliff itself was hollow in some places and there were doors on the sides of the hollow sections. Within each alcove there were other small objects.

John narrowed his eyes at the HUD. "Are they..."

"Small Ancient vessels?" Rodney completed with a grin. "Yes they are!"

"Smaller than a Puddle Jumper?" John asked.

"Well, we - and by _we,_ I mean _I_- have always hypothesised that a Puddle Jumper was more of a troop transport or small cargo vessel. The Ancient's would've needed something smaller to take on the Wraith darts – like a single pilot fighter ship."

John was grinning now. "Faster to build."

"Only one person lost with each ship destroyed."

John's face fell.

Rodney carried on obliviously, "There's a Jumper bay here." The top of the building on the HUD lit up just before the base took over the controls and guided the Jumper in on autopilot.

The rain finally stopped a few seconds later as the bay doors sealed over the top of the descending ship with an ominous clang.

xxx

"This is amazing!" Rodney said with his nose buried in the scanner as he followed Teyla down the corridor. The intricate workings of the base's power grid spread out before him on the small screen and he grinned.

John walked behind and pursed his lips. "You know what would be more amazing? For us to see the ships."

Rodney held up a finger in annoyance. "Patience."

"You don't have much," Ronon said from the back of the group.

Rodney ignored the jab and spoke quickly, "It's a factory for producing the fighter ships." His face fell. "Although there's not much power left unless they have a ZedPM that's not connected to the system. There only seems to be enough for the lights and the bay doors. Control room is this way."

Rodney headed off to the right at the next junction, following the direction of the power conduits displayed before him where the others couldn't see or understand.

Teyla had to jog to catch up and overtake him. "Allow me," she said.

Rodney hummed and gave her a curious look before he resumed staring at the scanner in his hand. There weren't any other lifesigns - he'd already checked and flipped the scanner every half minute or so to make sure no hibernating wraith or giant globs of green goo were about to jump/squish out at them.

They reached the control room and Rodney breezed past Teyla and John the moment they declared the room safe. He whipped out the larger tablet computer on his back, stuck the cable in the nearest outlet and started downloading the data. As usual, his musings were correct, but there didn't seem to be any raw material left for them to build more ships.

"Anything?" John asked as he tapped his P90 impatiently. "Can we go and see the ships yet?"

"Just a moment." Rodney narrowed his eyes at the screen.

An alarm suddenly started going off at the console on the other side of the room. "Uh oh," Rodney said as he dashed over to it.

"What did you do, McKay?" John asked, his boredom replaced by anger.

"Me?" Rodney squeaked. "Why do you always think I did something?"

"Wherever you are, trouble is not far behind," Teyla said as she scanned the room and kept her hands on the P90, ready to raise it at a moment's notice.

"Trouble is usually called 'Colonel Sheppard.'" Rodney muttered with an indignant scowl as he brought up the display where the alarm was sounding. He silenced it, but the screen continued to flash red.

His eyes tracked along the text. "Oh no no no. This is bad."

Ronon straightened up and drew his blaster. It whined as it powered up and his frame tensed. "What is it?"

Rodney looked at the rest of his team with wide, frightened eyes. "Darts just came through the gate in orbit. There must be a Wraith tracking device or something here that alerted them the moment we activated the power."

"And you didn't think to check?" John asked.

"What? Of _course_I did! But you know they're good at hiding things." He gave Teyla a pointed look and she averted her eyes.

The red stopped flashing on the screen, but Rodney hadn't done anything to make it stop. Lights descended from the ceiling and enveloped Rodney and John, then the room faded out and was replaced by a large hangar where the ships they'd seen earlier on the HUD were stored.

"What happened?" John asked.

"We got transported," Rodney said. "Hang on, my tablet's still in the control room." He fished out his small scanner and studied the screen. "The base transported us to the fighter ships, probably because of the Wraith. Teyla and Ronon are still in the control room."

"These are really cool!" John said excitedly as he walked over and studied the nearest ship.

The vessels were very small – only big enough for one person – and a clear glass canopy covered the cockpit. They had four small drive pods attached to the rear section and short, flat wings extended between the pods. Drone launchers and what looked like laser turrets hung underneath the wings.

"Nice dart fighters," Rodney said.

John frowned. "Space hoppers."

"Wraith poppers!"

John sighed, "Ugh, we can name them later."

Transport beams snagged the two men again and the next thing Rodney knew, he was in the very small cockpit of one of the fighter ships. Safety belts automatically crisscrossed his chest and pulled him back snugly into the seat. He hit his radio and then pushed at the glass, "Sheppard! Help!"

"It's all automatic," John replied. "Cool."

"No no! Not cool at all!" Rodney said, shaking his head.

"Put the helmet on," John said.

"Helmet?" Rodney asked, but his eyes moved down from the glass canopy to the cockpit in from of him. There was a very dorky looking helmet in the usual shade of 'Ancient brown' balanced on the controls in front of him. "Trust the Ancients," he muttered. "Even cool things look stupid." He put the helmet on anyway and fastened it under his chin

"Hey, this baby's gonna fly better than a Puddle Jumper."

"If there's any power left," Rodney said with a grimace. He received his answer a moment later as the controls before him lit up and a HUD appeared before him. He grabbed the sticks, but needn't have worried as the wall opened up in front of him and the ship automatically launched itself out into the dull rainy world.

"Form up," John said over the radio.

"I'm not your wingman!" Rodney cried back. He grabbed the control sticks as the ship was freed from autopilot. He watched the HUD as darts marked in red streaked across and a blue dot moved behind another blue dot.

"Alright, I'll be _your_wingman, McKay. Let's get rid of these darts and go home."

Rodney frowned at the calm coolness of Sheppard's voice over the radio. This was no longer the excitable John Sheppard, this was _Colonel_Sheppard - fighter pilot, killer of Wraith and squadron leader. For a fraction of a second, Rodney felt sorry for the Wraith, then he started feeling sorry for himself for being out in the rain with scary monsters that only wanted to suck him and everyone he knew dry.

Rodney nudged the sticks and the ship responded and shot towards the darts. The rain obscured his vision out of the canopy, so he used the HUD and soon realised that the blue dot in front of the other one was actually his ship.

The darts were soon upon them and Rodney thought about shooting them up. Nothing happened and he panicked and looked down at the controls. He located the manual trigger and pressed it, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Sheppard was moving his ship around in loops and taking out darts left, right and centre.

"I got three! I love this thing!" John shouted over the radio. "Come on, McKay, show me what you can do!"

"There's something wrong," Rodney said. "It won't fire. It's jammed or drained."

"There's one on your tail," John said. "Dodge, I'll be there in a sec."

Rodney obeyed, not that it took much – his mind was in panic and the ship responded in kind. Unfortunately the Wraith were more skilled at controlling their darts and had fully functioning weapons. The first impact tore off the upper right engine pod and Rodney was only prevented from slamming his chest into the control console by the belt holding him to the seat. The ship spun down, out of control. The second hit took of the whole left wing and the vessel nose-dived towards the swampy planet below.

Rodney was pinned to his seat by the force of the spin and thought frantically about ejecting, he even saw the right button through streaming eyes. But when he pressed it, nothing happened. He huffed out an annoyed breath, then there was a loud crash and his world turned black.

xxx

John dispatched the last Wraith dart easily, even with his focus split between the fight and the rapidly descending ship Rodney was inside. Smoke billowed out of the wounded vessel, marking a black trail against the grey sky as it spiralled down at a sickening speed.

He hit his radio as he followed as fast as he could. "Sheppard to McKay!"

There was no response and the next moment, the ship hit the ground and John gritted his teeth as his heart pounded.

"Sheppard to Ronon and Teyla."

"Go ahead, John," Teyla replied.

"McKay's ship is down."

"We know," Ronon said. "We've been watching in the control room."

"I'm going down to get him out."

"Good luck," Teyla said in a tense voice.

John landed his ship on what looked like the only piece of solid ground for miles. He opened the canopy and jumped out, his boots squelching in the spongy surface. He frowned, but there was little time if McKay's ship was about to sink or explode. He ran, slipped and slid his way over to the crash site and as he feared, only the top of one of the remaining wing was now visible where it had sunk into the watery swamp. At least the dampness had prevented it from catching fire, but there was an impact crater and drag marks that hadn't yet been filled in by the water.

He glanced at the swamp and thought about how to get Rodney out. "Use the force, Luke," he muttered with a frown.

He settled on wading, swimming and cursing. He had to go underwater to release the canopy and tried not to get any of the foul algae infested, slimy liquid in his mouth or up his nose. The canopy came loose easily and John soon realised why – it was broken and the cockpit was flooded.

"Please don't be dead!" John thought as he felt around in the murky underwater gloom for his friend. His hands touched something softer than the hard edges of the ship and he soon located and pressed the release in the safety belt against Rodney's chest.

He pulled the limp form from the ship and kicked towards the surface. John coughed when he finally made it to the air and spluttered out a lungful and what felt like half the swamp before he was able to gather his strength and pull Rodney towards the harder ground a short distance away. He dragged McKay's dead weight by the handle on the back of his tac vest and up onto the green moss covering the ground.

Rodney was pale and cold to touch and John could see his nose was bleeding now that the water couldn't wash it away. Rodney was also covered in green goo and John imagined he didn't look any better. A pulse tapped against John's fingers, but Rodney wasn't breathing.

"You're paying for the therapy, McKay," John said as he quickly unzipped Rodney's tac vest, then pinched his nose and blew breaths into him.

It didn't take long for Rodney to start choking and John rolled him over onto his side so he could cough up and vomit the other half of the swamp that John hadn't inhaled himself. Rodney moaned weakly when he was finished, but soon lost consciousness again. Only the deep, nasty sounding rattle with each breath signified he was alive.

"Shooting down darts isn't that hard, McKay," John said as he peeled back the cold, soggy shirt clinging to Rodney and checked his friend over for injuries. Aside from the bloody nose, bruises were already purpling Rodney's chest and abdomen in the exact shape of the safety restraint and his skin was freezing. John suspected broken or cracked ribs, but didn't press too hard to find out – Rodney was having enough trouble breathing as it was after his near drowning. John left Rodney's helmet in place to protect his head from the damp ground and rain.

"How am I going to get you back to civilisation?" John asked his insensible injured companion. The Ancient vessels weren't big enough for two people even if they got really friendly.

John hit his radio, but his hand only met his ear – the radio had been lost in the swamp. "Double crap!" Not that Ronon or Teyla would be able to do anything to help. Neither of them had the gene and with the gate in orbit, all they could do was wait for dial in and that wasn't for hours. John didn't think Rodney had that long, especially if he had internal injuries.

"She-ppard," a small voice gasped as John stared off into the murky swamp.

"Rodney?" John looked down and a pair of sleepy eyes met his gaze.

"I got… shot down," Rodney wheezed.

"I know. You'll be okay though."

Rodney closed his eyes as tears of pain leaked out, or it could've been the rain or more swamp, it was hard to tell. "I'm cold." He furrowed his brow and shivered.

John grimaced – he was also soaked and more than a little cold and he didn't have anything to warm them up.

There was a high pitched beeping overhead and John frowned up at the grey clouds overhead. He moved closer to Rodney and crouched over him protectively and drew his sidearm, he kept his other hand on Rodney's arm. He hoped he wouldn't have to test whether the gun would work after such a thorough soaking, but it was still a reassuring weight in his hand.

The beeping got louder and then a brown flying ship came through the mist and rain and landed with a solid thump right next to the two men. It looked like a Puddle Jumper, but it was longer and thinner and the drive pods came from the roof. There were many robot arms tucked into the sides of the vessel and the claws twitched as it landed.

"What's this?" John asked curiously.

A door opened at what John assumed was the back of the ship and a hovering stretcher zoomed out towards them. John's eyebrows rose. "An automated rescue ship? Must've had a lot of crashes here."

John didn't have a chance to think about how cool it was as he was too busy being worried about Rodney's injuries and unnerving breathing sounds while loading him onto the stretcher.

The ship beeped at him encouragingly the whole time until Rodney was secured, then the stretcher moved slowly into the ship and John followed.

John sat on the floor next to Rodney where he lay. Warm air blew down on them and John felt a thrill go through him. "Increased oxygen."

He glanced to the front of the ship. There was no window, but a HUD showed the ship use its robot arms to grab to two fighter craft – even Rodney's submerged one – and carry them with it back to the base.

The ship landed in the Jumper Bay and John pulled Rodney's hovering stretcher behind him.

Ronon and Teyla ran into the bay a moment later. "We saw what happened!" Teyla said breathlessly. She looked Rodney over in concern.

"How's he doing?" Ronon asked.

John grimaced and let Ronon take over stretcher dragging duty. "He needs help."

Rodney's face twitched and he winced – he was still wearing the helmet - John hadn't yet dared to remove it in case it compounded any head injury. Teyla laid her hand on Rodney's and he calmed a little.

John dashed into the Jumper cockpit the moment Rodney was safely onboard. He unclipped and removed his own helmet while mentally lifting the Jumper up and out of the bay before the doors had completely opened. He ran his hands through his hair, shaking the water out. Something that looked like it came from the nose of a swamp-troll emerged from the damp strands and clung to his fingers. He vigorously shook it away in disgust and it splatted down on the deck – a mystery for Zelenka and his Jumper cleaning and maintenance crew to ponder over once they were back.

He glanced into the rear compartment where Ronon and Teyla were sat with Rodney. He had an oxygen mask on his face and blankets over him, but the rattle in his lungs was unmistakable.

John sped the jumper up through the rain and clouds, from dark blue into black. He dialled the orbital gate, sent his IDC and called for a med team.

Xxx

"Can I have a laptop now?" Rodney asked. His voice was quiet and breathy.

"I'll see what I can do," Carson said. "But nothing too strenuous, you've sustained a major trauma."

Rodney tried to fold his arms where he sat propped up in the infirmary bed. The IV lines and heart monitor leads twisting around the sheets and trailing under his shirt got tangled. He stopped moving with a wince which only made him scrunch up his face, including his bruised nose where the cannula was, and he closed his eyes tightly in pain.

The bruising on his chest was visible above the low V of the scrub top he wore, the deep purple in contrast with the clean white of the cloth.

"And none of that," Carson said kindly as he straightened the leads and the bedsheets around his patient, then injected painkillers into the IV. "You've got cracked ribs and more than enough bruises to be getting along with."

Rodney slowly opened his eyes and let out a shallow sigh as his face smoothed out. "Thanks."

"No problem." Carson turned around as Rodney's teammates entered the infirmary. "I'll leave you to your visitors." He walked away back to his lab.

John had Rodney's laptop and slipped it into the drawer of the bedside table. "For later."

Teyla asked, "How are you feeling, Rodney?"

"Better. The drugs are good here, but the entertainment sucks."

"Nothing but white walls and antiseptic," Ronon said as he glanced around.

"Precisely," Rodney said miserably.

"Well, we're here to entertain you now," John said with a smirk.

Rodney looked down at his hands and said, "It was a test flight base according to the data I saw before we were snatched. That's probably why they had the rescue ship too. They built the ships late in the Wraith war, but it was too late to turn the tide by then."

"Still cool though," John said.

"Did you _see_my deathdive?" Rodney asked indignantly. "That was less cool and more terrifying."

"Good thing there were those restraint things," Ronon said.

"Not for my chest!" Rodney said.

"Better than slamming it on the console," John said with a grimace. "My first aid course didn't cover liquefied McKay."

Rodney grimaced and rested his hand protectively over his abused ribs.

Teyla said, "Radek has been able to analyse some of the data from your tablet computer we brought back."

Rodney looked angry for a moment, but his exhaustion quickly drained him until he merely looked tired and ill.

Teyla continued, "He said the ships were not ready to fight. They are riddled with malfunctions and were never perfected to join the war."

John said, "Because even the Ancients, with their strange undocumented ways, weren't crazy enough to fly ships that don't shoot back against the Wraith."

"Cannon fodder," Rodney said as his eyes slowly drifted shut.

"Not this time, McKay," John said. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to shoot that dart before it got you, but even a wingman needs his squadron to help out sometimes."

Rodney smiled a little, "S'okay." Then his face smoothed out in sleep.

Carson came over after a minute and shooed Rodney's three teammates out of the infirmary to let his patient sleep. He carefully avoided noticing the laptop now secreted in the drawer near Rodney.

_Fin_


	65. Volcanic Venture

**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 3800  
**Summary:** John and Rodney check out the planets in their new system after the relocation of Atlantis.

**Additional Information:** Written for the Rodney McKay Gen Thing-a-Thon on LiveJournal, to the prompt: 'volcano.'

**Volcanic Venture**

After the dust had settled from the Replicator attack on Atlantis and their forced relocation to another system, it was necessary to survey the new system they found themselves in.

"Can't we scan from Atlantis?" John asked from the pilot's seat of the Puddle Jumper.

Rodney tapped on his computer and spoke at the same time. "It's not good enough. Some of the planets are too far away for the level of detail in the scans we're after. We need to take a closer look just in case there are any nasty surprises right next door. Besides, I thought you liked to fly?"

John gave Rodney a small smile. "This isn't so much flying as it is waiting for us to get there. At least when we go offworld it doesn't take hours in a straight line through nothing to get anywhere."

Rodney stopped his incessant tapping and looked out of the window. "Look, if you're bored, I can give you some of Radek's sunspot and solar flare prediction calculations to double check."

John's face lit up. "Really?"

"No."

John deflated with a sigh. "I wish Teyla and Ronon were here."

Rodney grimaced. "Then I'd be responsible for entertaining all three of you. I don't think so. It's only a simple survey of our neighbours. We'll be back before dinner."

Rodney carried on tapping on the screen and John drummed his fingers on the console while he counted the stars. Rodney was either very used to working with distractions or he preferred John's tapping to the complaining as he didn't say anything and continued working regardless.

xxx

Five long, tedious hours passed of John trying to find a way to irritate Rodney. Until, finally…

"Would you stop that!" Rodney snapped. "Or are you trying to drive me insane?"

John put his feet down and stopped rocking his chair from side to side while simultaneously tapping a funky beat and humming. He put on his best innocent face and gave Rodney a wide-eyed look. "What?"

"You know!" Rodney cried. He rubbed his head, making a clump of hair stick out at an alarming angle. That, combined with the red face and frowning made him look even more like a mad scientist. He looked away and muttered, "I can't work in these conditions. I wish I'd come alone…"

"Look," John said as he brought up the HUD. "Planet number one."

Rodney blinked and shook himself, his anger momentarily forgotten. He plugged his computer into the console to record the data and then looked at the HUD. "The planetary surface displays a marked amount of tectonic activity. Surface temperatures range from 30 degrees Celsius to over 100." He grimaced, "Sulphur dioxide atmosphere, some oxygen and carbon dioxide and other things, but not enough to live on."

John turned the Jumper towards the orange globe increasing in size as they got closer. "We'll call this one: Volcano Planet."

"That's original," Rodney said with an eye roll. "Take us down into the atmosphere."

"I thought you said it was going to be a quick survey?"

"I want to get some better scans for the Geologists. This might be what Venus was like before the volcanoes took over and turned the place into an overheated acidic death trap."

John shrugged and drawled, "Okay."

The nose of the Jumper pitched down and a few minutes later, they were flying over a ridge of volcanoes spewing poisonous gas and molten rock up in great grey billowing clouds. The sky was an angry orange and swirling clouds loomed ominously above them.

"That should do." Rodney said after a moment.

John nudged the controls, but the Jumper didn't respond.

"I said we can leave."

"I _know_ what you said," John drawled. "It's not working."

Rodney's eyes widened in alarm. "Did you fly us through an ash cloud?"

"The whole atmosphere is ash, McKay."

Just then the right engine pod cut out, swiftly followed by the left one.

"We're going down!" He pressed the comm. "Jumper Ten to Atlantis."

There was no reply.

"Sheppard to Atlantis. Come in, please."

"They can't answer," Rodney said in panic. "The atmosphere must be reflecting the signal."

Without any engine power, the Jumper pitched down and plummeted. "Brace for impact," John said.

Rodney scowled and mumbled, "Obviously." But he gripped the console anyway. The last thing he saw before they got better acquainted with the ground, was a pool of bright orange lava and the ashy side of a volcano so big that it would dwarf Mount Everest.

xxx

Rodney woke up with a cough. Clutching his chest, he slowly stood up. He vaguely remembered the colour orange and an abrupt stop that made him smack into something solid. He grimaced around the Jumper. "John?"

The Colonel was slumped over his own console and didn't respond to Rodney's call.

Rodney went over to him and felt for a pulse. He sighed in relief and instantly regretted it at the twinge from his ribs. There was a nasty cut on John's forehead that had bled copiously and made him look like a reject from Carrie. Finding no other injuries and that John didn't seem to be in any immediate danger of dying the next moment, Rodney limped into the rear compartment and grabbed the medkit.

"So you can keep us in a straight line for hours," Rodney muttered as he stumbled back into the cockpit with the bag. "But when we find an exciting planet, can't even keep us airborne. I said a _survey_ mission, and a _little_ closer, but not this close, Sheppard!"

Rodney checked John's eyes with the penlight first. They were equal and reactive and one of several large knots of anxiety eased and released in his chest. Rodney mopped up as much of the blood as he could from John's face and tried not to gag at the coppery smell. He wrapped a bandage around John's head, then pushed a cushion under him where he was resting on the console and covered him with a blanket. He stepped back and admired his handiwork.

Rodney did an inventory of his own injuries. "Probably broken," he said sadly as he checked his ribs. He eyed a patch of dark purple on his side. "Internal bleeding." His leg was black and blue too and he furrowed his brow.

"Now as you're busy napping," he said to John, "I suppose it's down to me to figure out how to get us out of here?"

John didn't reply and Rodney pursed his lips. Even though it was annoying, he liked John's questions and unique form of motivation. "Oh, yes, I forgot – it's always me who has to save our asses when we crash anyway. Only this time, I won't be interrupted."

The front of the Jumper was dark where they had dived into something that covered it. Emergency lights were all that Rodney had to work with as he plugged in his computer and poked around inside the crystal tray in the rear compartment. He didn't find anything wrong, so walked unevenly into the cockpit. The HUD flickered and eventually came up. Rodney ran a diagnostic and an image of the Jumper showed on the display. The engine pods flashed red and the hull was yellow to show the areas of damage.

"Uh oh," Rodney said. He switched to external scanners. His eyes widened. "No wonder."

John had successfully embedded their only means of transport off the volcano planet in the side of a very active and angry volcano. It was no doubt further angered by the vibrations from the impact and had decided to dribble a little lava flow in their direction. The ash had probably cushioned their landing, at least better than slamming into solid rock. Only the front of the ship was in the ash – the pods were clear – but Rodney estimated it wouldn't be long before the lava reached them. He doubted even the sturdy Ancient hull would withstand molten rock for as long as it took Atlantis to realise they were in trouble and send help.

Rodney focused his attention back on the engines. They shouldn't have malfunctioned like they had, even with the ash in the atmosphere. It's not like they were aeroplane engines with moving parts. But still the ash had almost completely clogged the front of one engine and the other one wasn't far behind. To avoid damage to the engines, the Jumper safeties had kicked in and shut them down, causing them to crash.

Rodney frowned. "So, no damaged engines, but we crash instead? How is that in any way sensible?"

There was a loud clang on the roof, making him jump in fright and panic until he realised. "Falling rocks and fireballs. Great."

Rodney dug around in the database and control manual frantically and found a partially translated entry about foreign particles. "Now you tell us!" he cried as he scanned the text about temporarily sealing and protecting the engine pods.

He activated the protocol, but the engines still wouldn't allow them to leave. "Come _on_," he whined. He pressed some buttons, "Override safety protocols, yes."

The Jumper wouldn't let him bypass the safeties and helpfully told him that would damage the engines.

"I know that! But a bit of damage is better than being melted like ice in a oven!"

The Jumper told him to manually purge the engines, then it would think about maybe letting him start them. Rodney shook the computer and hit the console with his fist, adding another bruise to his throbbing collection. "I can't go out there! Have you seen it? I'll be toast in a couple of minutes!"

He sighed and ran a trembling hand through his hair. Out of morbid curiosity, he ran a quick scan of the immediate vicinity.

"Looks like it's winter in this part of the planet. Only 60 degrees Celsius!" he cried. "Visit Planet Hell today! Sulphur, ash and brimstone – the perfect retreat when the heat of summer gets too much."

He sighed. They were dead anyway. At least if he tried and managed to get the ship moved to a safer part of the local lava club, John might stand a chance of survival when he woke up. He opened the front of the drive pods using the controls and went into the rear compartment.

Rodney pulled down the racks in the back of the Jumper with shaking hands, his pains forgotten as his heart sped up in the adrenaline rush. He only had four minutes to get them away from the approaching lava flow or they would become yet another bubbly rock feature in the landscape.

He put aside the heatproof gloves, a silvery foil blanket and goggles. That left breathing and he winced as he imagined the sulphur dioxide turning to acid in his lungs and choking to death on his own blood. A bandana wouldn't cut it, he thought as he looked at John's sleeping form. Then his eyes fell on the medkit.

He quickly went into the cockpit and grabbed the portable oxygen tank and mask. He emptied out his tac vest and slipped the small tank into one of the pockets and secured the mask to his face. He felt a momentary buzz, but the dread of his imminent agonising death stopped the feeling from clouding his mind.

"Deep, even breaths," he said in a muffled voice as he fogged up the mask. "It'll be like a walk on a nice beach. A nice fiery beach of death." The goggles came next, then he grabbed a small shovel and sealed John safely in the cockpit. Wrapping the thin blanket around himself as best he could, the gloves went on last and he lost much of his dexterity.

Two minutes to go according to his internal countdown timer.

Rodney didn't have any time to brace himself as he opened the rear hatch and stepped out into hell itself.

The insubstantial foil blanket did little to insulate Rodney against the choking heat and he wheezed into the mask protecting his lungs from the acidic air. Even with the goggles, his eyes streamed and he barely saw the orange swirls above him or the dark clouds and missiles as the sky seemed to fall down all around him. A hit by one of those could seriously injure or kill him and then John would be left to die.

Rodney stumbled round to the right engine and gritted his teeth as his body trembled and his heart hammered in his chest. If felt like his skin was boiling and he was being burned alive. He knew he couldn't take much more of it.

As he finished scooping out the ash and rocks that had clogged the right engine and sealed it against further intrusions, his watery eyes moved up the side of Mount Doom. Even though his vision was blurry and his eyes stung like nothing else, he saw the approaching flow. It was dangerously close now and he thought he could feel the temperature increase even further, the nearer it got.

He stumbled over to the other engine, getting slower as he went. At some point the blanket slipped off and tangled in his feet and he fell. He was vaguely aware of a tremendous pain in his upper arm, but he ignored it and stood up again. The second engine was soon clear of debris and safely sealed.

The lava was moving slowly, the viscous molten rock looking like bright orange, glowing treacle, but it had already nearly reached them.

Rodney made his way back inside the Jumper, panting and wheezing. Once the door was shut, he just wanted to sink down onto the deck and curl up, but he had more work to do.

He opened the middle door and wandered into the cockpit in a daze. He collapsed into his chair and pulled off the gloves, marvelling at how red his hands were.

Purge. Reinitialise. Safety seal. Perfect. He pressed a final button and the autopilot program loaded up. There was a whine and thump, then the Jumper pulled itself free from its ashy grave and angled up. Rodney stayed conscious just long enough to make sure the orange hellfire of the sky faded to black and stars appeared before he passed out and slumped onto the console like John.

xxx

"Atlantis to Jumper Ten. Come in."

John woke up and groaned. It felt like his head was splitting open. Then he remembered: Jumper! Crash! Volcanoes!

"Rodney?" He whispered into the console his face was pressed against.

Only the voice over the radio replied. "It's good to hear your voice, Colonel. We haven't been able to contact you since you went off our sensors and came back a couple of hours ago."

John opened his eyes and pushed himself back in the seat. Bad idea. The resulting dizziness made him close his eyes and swallow down the nausea. It gradually eased to a bearable level and he opened his eyes again. The blackness of starstrewn space was the first thing he saw. He frowned and looked to Rodney in the co-pilot's seat.

Rodney was unconscious and an oxygen mask was secured to his face. He also had goggles on. John raised an eyebrow and regretted it as a bandage pulled something painful across his forehead.

"McKay?" John asked.

Rodney didn't respond and continued to breathe quickly and noisily into the mask. His skin was red and his eyes were puffy and swollen shut. John grimaced and pushed himself upright on shaky legs. The head rush wasn't too bad this time, but still made him nearly fall down onto the deck.

His eyes were caught by something and he looked into the rear compartment. "I thought my room was messy, McKay. What have you been up to?"

John checked his friend over and found his skin was alarmingly hot to touch and his pulse was too fast. There was a red and black raw burn on Rodney's upper arm and small rocks had imbedded themselves into the wound. John checked Rodney's boots and saw that similar rocks were stuck to soles. "Not stuck," John said. "Melted through."

"What did you have to do, McKay?"

John checked the HUD and saw that they were speeding back to Atlantis in a perfect straight line and had been doing so for the past two hours. "An autopilot?" John said indignantly. "Why didn't you say earlier, McKay?"

Rodney didn't snap a reply and John wished for the sarcastic voice to tell him something… anything.

He hit the comm. "Jumper to Atlantis. Rodney's hurt."

"Dr. Keller is on the other channel. I'll switch you over."

John waited a moment and soon Jennifer spoke, "John, how can I help?"

"Rodney's injured." He described the symptoms and Jennifer asked a few more questions. "It was a volcanic planet. McKay said the temperatures reached 100 Celsius."

John heard Jennifer inhale a sharp breath. "How long was he out there for?"

"I don't know."

"Leave the oxygen mask in place, but you need to find a way to cool him down or he could die before you get back. Start an IV and remove as much clothing as you can. Don't touch his boots or the material over and around any burns."

John winced at the throb in his head as he hefted Rodney out of the chair and laid him out on the floor. He then dug through the spilled contents of the medkit all over the floor in the cockpit. It looked like McKay had had some party while he'd been out. He located the IV kit and scissors. It took a couple of tries, but he soon had the needle inserted correctly and taped down. It didn't seem that Rodney minded that or when John proceeded to cut as much cloth off as possible, leaving his sleeve in place over the horrific burn. He really hoped Rodney didn't choose this moment to wake up… awkward.

John dialled the temperature in the Jumper down just low enough that he didn't freeze them both, then sprinkled some of their meagre water supply over Rodney's red skin. He was still breathing quickly and was covered in painful looking bruises. John didn't imagine he looked any better.

John took Rodney's vitals again a few minutes later and he seemed to be improving already.

"How about you, John?" Jennifer asked. "Any injuries?"

"Nothing a couple of Tylenol and a good night's sleep can't fix."

"Well, don't ignore your injuries or there won't be anyone to land the ship."

John wrapped himself in blankets against the low temperature and sat on the floor next to Rodney while the Jumper sped through space. He found he longed for the boredom of their outward flight as he peered at Rodney's slack face.

Rodney had begun waking up when the controls beeped that they had arrived in orbit above New Lantea. Rodney moaned and shuddered, trying to curl around his injured arm.

"Can I give him something for the pain? He's starting to wake up."

"There should be some morphine in the medkit," Jennifer replied.

John found it and Rodney's scrunched face smoothed out and he gradually stopped writhing after he had injected it. He huffed a short breath in relief and sunk back into unconsciousness.

John flew the Jumper down towards Atlantis and swiftly lowered and landed it in the bay. He didn't bother parking it properly and dropped it with the rear hatch angled towards the waiting med team led by Keller.

The moment the door opened, the team rushed in and secured Rodney on the waiting gurney before wheeling him away. John sat in a daze before a hand on his upper arm tore him out of his thoughts.

"Can you stand?"

John turned and saw Teyla crouched beside him. Ronon was standing behind her on the only patch of deck that didn't seem to have something covering it. Another med team with a gurney waited out in the bay. John snorted and winced – they knew him too well to know he was injured as well, but hiding it.

With Teyla and Ronon's help he stood up and they guided him out into the bay.

"You should lie down." One of the med team indicated the gurney.

"It's fine. I'm fine," John replied.

"We'll make sure he gets there," Ronon said.

xxx

A voice floated down to Rodney through the gloom. "The geologists are happy."

It was a drawling male voice, but Rodney found it strangely reassuring, even through the fog.

"Not only did you get some really in depth scans of the atmosphere and surface, but some samples of rock stuck to the Jumper. I think they've finished prying them off now, but they were well stuck on."

"Hammer and chisel," Rodney croaked as he opened his bleary eyes.

"Here."

John held a cup of water up and helped Rodney to take a few sips to soothe his parched throat. "Thanks."

Jennifer saw that her patient was awake and came over. She checked the monitors as she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Rodney ran a quick damage report. "Uhm, drugged?"

Jennifer smiled. "Good." She held his face and studied him. "How about your vision?"

"A bit blurry. Must be the acid."

"The goggles protected your eyes from major damage. The scans show that they should improve with time."

Rodney grimaced and blinked away the water that had started streaming from them.

"Here," Jennifer said and pressed a cool, damp cloth into Rodney's right hand. He tried to move his left arm, but it felt useless and heavy.

"What happened to me?" Rodney asked in alarm as he gingerly dabbed at his sore eyes.

"You got burnt," John said solemnly.

"We had to perform a skin graft," Jennifer said. "But you're healing nicely."

Rodney spoke sadly, "Another scar for the collection."

"At least we're not dead," John said. "Thanks for that by the way. If it weren't for you, we'd be deep fried on Volcano Planet by now."

"Planet Hell," Rodney corrected as he gave up on trying to clear his eyes and kept them closed.

"You know what, McKay? Out of all the lame names you've come up with for things, I think I actually like that one. I'll put that in the report and get Radek to update the database."

"Just don't make us go there again," Rodney said as tiredness claimed him.

"No way in hell," John responded.

Rodney gave a short snuffle then drifted off to sleep.


End file.
